


Mortal Prison

by makoredeyes



Category: Titanfall
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, Personal Growth, Psychological Horror, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-10-27 21:14:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 56,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makoredeyes/pseuds/makoredeyes
Summary: Despite their chilling sound, Jack followed the screams.What's to follow leads to hardship, growth, and love.





	1. Chapter 1

   The IMC’s typical pristine white aesthetic didn’t apply to this place.  It was dark here, even in the light of day.  What few flickering, fluorescent lights lined the hallway were dim and mostly ineffective.  The walls were stone, thick and cold and appreciably ancient.  The air was thick and stale, and hinted that the facility was subterranean.  Time blurred, foot falls echoed but voices didn’t.   In this dark, liminal space, reality seemed like a hoax.

     Jack shivered, huddling tight against the grimy, cold wall.  The prison was even darker, and mostly empty.  The IMC didn’t take many prisoners, after all.  Jack still couldn’t figure out why _he_ had been taken prisoner.  They knew who he was, what he had done. This he was certain of, because it had been thrown in his face almost daily for the last three long, miserable weeks.  They just…left him there.  Occasionally a guard came to spit on him or taunt him.  Another pilot in a cell across from him had been unceremoniously executed without warning three days earlier, but Jack had been left. Not that he would have gone anywhere, even if they had left the door wide open. Not until he found BT.

     The Titan was somewhere in the facility. That much, Jack was certain.  What they had done with him, he couldn’t fathom.  For several days, he could feel BT through the Neural Link, the Titan’s mood guarded, but courageous.  He too, then, had been plotting how to collect his other half and escape.  All at once, one pre-dawn morning, the stoicism had vanished.  Sheer horror woke Jack from a restless slumber, and then, as if a blanket had been thrown over a light, BT’s presence became alarmingly muted. Not gone…and even now, Jack could still _feel_ the Titan, knew he was alive but… wrong. It all felt wrong. 

     Weeks had gone by this way, with Jack carefully monitoring his friend for any change, but there had been none.   He had concluded that whatever else had happened, BT was outside of regular consciousness. Perhaps in a state of stasis?  He couldn’t know. 

     “ _Yer little buddy there ain’t gonna ever be the same when we’re done wit’ ‘im._ ”  Jack puzzled over the words – an attempt at a verbal killing blow from one of the nastier guards.  “ _Them mad scientists they got… had some ideas, wanted ‘ta try ‘em out. Couldn’t risk one ‘a our own… ‘N who better ‘ta volunteer than our favorite War Criminal and his goddamn pet._ ”

    Jack had kept a straight face, but the words were chilling, and the man’s tone made his skin crawl.  BT was in real danger that much he knew. But from what? Far more than simple deactivation, from the sound of it.  Jack clung to his friend’s waning presence, and sat in the shadows, considering, analyzing.

 

He had to get to BT.

 

 

     Jack startled. He had dozed off sitting in his corner.  There was no daylight, no clocks, but the bedrock deep silence permeating the facility suggested it was late into the night.   At one end of the block, a single guard shuffled, bracing himself against a doorframe as he dozed.  Jack’s eyes darted around in the dim, searching for what had jolted him awake.  At first, there was nothing.

     Jack openly and unabashedly cringed as a distant, horrified scream echoed up the long empty hallways.  It wasn’t loud to Jack, the sound having obviously traveled a long way through the complex, but it was clear enough to identify as definitely human. The guard swore softly, clearly also disturbed.  The scream was prolonged, and only after several seconds did it cut short abruptly. 

     Through the Link, a feeling much like the scream burned through Jack suddenly, forcing him to leap to his feet abruptly.  Compelled by something greater than himself, he plowed against the barred door to his cell, rattling it. He had to get to BT.

     Another scream rattled the walls, and Jack kicked at the door. Something was very _very_ wrong.

     “Oi! Knock that off!”

     “What the hell is that?!” Jack barked, and just this once he let the fear seep into his voice.  “What is this place?”

     The guard stomped up to Jack’s cell, striking the barred window with his Billy club.

     “Back off!”

     “What’s going on?” Jack demanded again, even as he obediently backed away.  He let the horrible feeling crawling under his skin reach his face, make his eyes water.  He’d found himself a sucker, at last.  His voice cracked.

       A very clear _Kill me!_ Traveled forth from the darkness, and the guard cringed visibly. He swore under his breath again.

        “What the _hell_ is that?!” Jack whispered, backing away further.   The guard tried to see him through the bars, but in the gloom visibility wasn’t very good. He cracked open the door to look Jack in the eyes.

        “What… dun’ the voice sound _familiar?”_ The guard hissed devilishly.  True horror struck Jack, because yes, yes it did. 

         “No…” He whispered, backing away as the guard entered the cell fully, his stance predatory.

        “Wanna join in?”  The guard slapped his nightstick against one thigh lightly, cracking his neck with a sinuous tilt of his head. “I bet yer a screamer too…”

         Jack recoiled, covering his face with his arms and cowering, letting the man bear down on him.  The guard raised the club high over his head and Jack tensed, waiting.  In a great arc, the club swung down with the full force of the guard’s weight behind it – perhaps he had intended to kill Jack in a single blow over the head.  Jack held his breath as at last the motion seemed to slow for him, and he ever so slightly ducked to one side, dodging.  He deftly grabbed the guard’s wrist and yanked hard, hauling him along with his momentum.  In one crisp, instantaneous movement, he had plowed the man headfirst into the stone wall behind him. The guard crumpled immediately, unconscious. Jack collected the weapon, as well as a pistol from him and hurried out, kicking the cell door shut behind him. 

                Despite their chilling sound, Jack followed the screams.

 

 

                The facility was suspiciously devoid of….everything.  As Jack charged through stretching hallways, checking one darkened lab after another, he confirmed the deep-night hour he suspected, but even still, there weren’t even MARVNs around. He had a suspicion he was running headlong into a trap. Why set a trap for someone already imprisoned?  Granted, he had escaped, but it wouldn’t have been _that_ much trouble to supply two guards…or a better armed one…or, stars forbid, a smarter one.  It was too easy to have made it this far.

          One lab – just as dark as the rest- nearly vibrated with the volume of the howl resonating from inside. Or perhaps it was Jack’s nerves that had caused the shaking.  He lurched to a halt, his ankles tangling, and he twisted back to lay his hand over the keypad.  The door opened.

        It was darker here, than in the dimly lit hallway, and the room was suddenly silent, save for the sound of ragged, pained breathing. 

          “Who’s here…?” Jack couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice above a whisper as he stepped into the room fully.  He palmed the stolen pistol tucked into his belt anxiously.

          “Help me…” The words, barely a whimper, were broken by sobs. 

         “Who’s there?” Jack asked again, a little more sternly.  “What is this?”  His eyes were adjusting to the dark as he crept forward. He spotted something on a gurney at the back of the room.  It shifted. There was a hitch, and then silence: bated breath. 

                “…Jack? Is that you?”


	2. Chapter 2

 

                BT-7274 was plunging through a horrible haze of confusion.  Nothing was right.  Visual input was malfunctioning badly; his infrared was gone, optical zoom had quit, and he was stuck with limited color, the world around him dark and muted in shades of gray, black, and also dark gray.  It was a terrible effort to focus on anything.  Worse still, audio was shot as well.  He heard a distant pattering, perhaps of footfalls? But it was muddy, echoing and unclear as to the direction or proximity.   He shuttered his optical relay repeatedly, trying to focus.  He couldn’t even detect the auxiliary video feed, let alone access it.

                He was pinned on his back, anchored, and unable to rotate his field of vision to see where he was.  The space above him looked like a ceiling but it was too dark to tell for sure.  

                Contrary to all of that, his sensornets _screamed_.  Why, why, _why_ did it _hurt?!_   He had never experienced pain before, was not _meant_ to experience pain, and truly he still had no concept of what it was he was enduring, as he had not yet had a moment of clarity to understand it, but if he understood what it was then he would know it was agony.  He and Jack had been ambushed…shot down….captured.   Jack had been taken away and BT had been wrest from his chassis and… and…

                The data was gone.  Whatever had transpired between then and now was a mystery but the clear result was pain Pain _PAIN_ and coming online alone in the dark with his senses muted to near blindness and his body in torment had quickly sent him spiraling into sheer hysterical panic.

                Panic was another new experience for BT, and equally as unnatural to his being.  Unexplained horror and a prevailing sense of undiluted _wrongness_ , had seeped into his core and sent him tumbling out of control.  No programming, no experience in the field, no deep esoteric talks with Cooper, came even close to preparing BT for this. 

                Unbidden and completely without command, a scream ripped from him.  He screamed, and screamed, and when this too inexplicably made his insides burn as well, he screamed some more.  Without warning, the thought burst through him: _Kill me._

 

                Delirium set in, it’s sick, sticky grip choking BT and making his mind fold in on itself.  He was defenseless to it.  He felt like he was drowning.

                “Who’s here?”

                The voice.  _The_ voice shattered everything and for one sweet moment clarity returned to BT.   Jack. That was Jack, he was here.  He tried to speak, but the commands weren’t right.  He wasn’t sure if Jack could hear. _Help me_.   “Who’s there?” Jack repeated.  Panic swelled up in BT again but he clawed it down.  He _had_ to reach his Pilot.  It took everything he could muster to make a sound.

                “Jack? Is that you?”

                “BT?” Jack’s voice was tight, but he responded.  _Success!_   A horrible, strained sound ripped from BT’s vocals, but he could hear the man quickly closing the distance. “BT???”  
                “Help me, Jack!” BT sobbed the words wetly. Why was he wet?

                “Oh…Oh my god….” Jack moaned. “Holy shit, BT….”

“W-what’s happened to me, Jack? I can’t see…”   Something hot fell on his shoulder, and BT cringed violently, crying out and recoiling.   Jack jerked his hand away.

“Shit…” The Pilot swore again and again under his breath. “BT look at me…” BT looked.  Jack’s dark eyes met his gaze through the gloom. They were wide, terrified. 

“We’re the same size?  What’s happened…?”  BT whispered the words as Jack located the strapping that was holding him prone.  The restraints on his wrists, legs, and middle released abruptly. 

“I… Can you sit up? We need to get out of here,” Jack’s voice shook. 

With a low groan and a shudder, BT was able to lever himself up with a helping push from Jack.

                “It hurts…” BT moaned.

                “I… Jesus…  I don’t know what happened, BT, but…” Jack reached out, laying a too-hot hand on BT’s wrist.  BT followed the gesture, looking down.   Pale like moonlight and slender, a human arm rested under Jack’s palm. _His_ arm.  BT recoiled, horror clamping down over his chest like a vice.  

                BT drew in one long rattling breath, and shrieked. 

 

                Jack’s heart hammered.  BT was… human.   One very scared, very hurt man, unrecognizable save for that profoundly unmistakable voice which had somehow endured, and the blessedly intact Neural Link, which confirmed everything Jack thought he saw.  There were signs of tampering all over the body…punctures in his wrists and chest; long, curving and hastily sutured scars crisscrossing his shaven head leaving the scalp red and swollen.  Jack winced sympathetically.  BT had been left, strapped to a gurney with nothing but a sheet draped loosely over his body, and no explanation as to what had happened, whom or where he was.   His very first human experience had been pain, fear, and darkness.

                It didn’t take much assessment to discern he had been handled with extreme cruelty.

               

                Rage boiled under Jack’s skin, and his hands shook almost as badly as BT’s in his effort to contain it.  There would be retribution.  Jack would return to this place and demolish it down to the foundation with fiery rancor.

                But for now…

                Jack clamped his palm over BT’s mouth as he let loose another wail of horror as his condition finally dawned on him.  Startled by the touch as much as anything, the former Titan fell silent with a sharp click of his teeth. 

                “Sshhh… Easy, Buddy…” Jack whispered the words in BT’s ear, shifting his hand to cradle the other’s face gently.   “It’s… it’s gonna be Ok.”  BT clamped his eyes shut, barring his teeth in a silent, miserable hiss.  “But we gotta get out of here.   You’ve gotta get up, okay?” He gathered up the sheet around BT’s shoulders, and gently tugged on his arms, urging him to move.   BT hissed as bare feet encountered the cold stone floor for the first time and Jack snaked an arm around his waist to steady him.   “Can you walk?”  A fresh wave of fear barreled into Jack from through the already occluded Link, but after a moment BT nodded.

                “Yes.”

                They made it to the door without incident, and began the tentative trek down the dingy hallway.

                “I wonder whose body this is…” BT broke the silence. His voice shook.

                “It’s yours now. Try not to think on it.  Let’s just keep moving, and we can sort it out when we’re safe,” Jack whispered back.

They turned a corner, and Jack came nose-to barrel with a shotgun.  He gasped, seizing up in alarm.  Behind him BT ground to a halt much less gracefully.  Jack’s eyes ran up the barrel to meet the alarmingly smug man holding it.   Older, and wearing a heavily decorated IMC dress uniform, he did not at all look surprised to find Jack and his companion tip-toeing through the facility in the deep of night.

                “Stay back,” Jack murmured, gesturing for BT to retreat.

                “Don’t bother,” the IMC General drawled.  “You, Mister Cooper, will not survive and your _pet_ will be sent back to the slab where it belongs!”

                From behind Jack, BT issued a low, barely audible growl. The General’s gaze passed over Jack’s shoulder to examine BT, hunched and quivering where he stood, but looking no less ferocious for it.  The gunman sneered.

                Jack did not waste a split heartbeat, taking quick advantage of the distraction BT had caused. He slapped the rifle up and away from his face, braving the searing heat over the barrel as the trigger was pulled, so that he could yank it from the startled General’s loosened grip.  The shot went up and into the ceiling harmlessly, and as Jack lunged forward he tossed the rifle back to BT, tackling the enemy to the floor.  They grappled there for a moment, before BT approached the pair, and leveled the shotgun in the older man’s face.

                “You don’t even know how to use that,” He growled.  BT angled the barrel just to one side of the General’s head and pulled the trigger.  Blood trickled from his earlobe and there was deep pitting in the floor dangerously close by.  Jacks ears rang from the deafening report, but he couldn’t help but smile.

                “Do I have you to thank for this profoundly horrible day I am having?” BT asked, voice so cold it could have passed as robotic.  The General’s eyes were wide with fear, and he threw his hands from where they were gripping at Jack’s collar up into an open gesture of surrender.  

                “How about you tell the nice science experiment how we get out of here before he blows your face off,” Jack added.   

                “No, I think I remember,” BT said softly.  “But I’m trying to think of where it will hurt the most.”  He waved his weapon in a vague gesture.

                The General whimpered, eyes glassing up as BT stuffed the rifle’s barrel into the man’s mouth.  Jack stood quickly, pulling the club he had stolen from the prison guard out of belt.  Before either BT or the General could do anything more, he struck the prone man over the head, knocking him cold.  BT withdrew, kicking the safety back on with a dissatisfied grunt.  A second firm strike split the skull.  The General would bleed out long before anyone found him. 

                “Save the bullets,” Jack murmured.  “C’mon.”

 

\---------------

Update: Now with shitty illustration

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAAAAAT?!
> 
> Ok I think I have more after this....


	3. Chapter 3

\--3—

                Dawn was just breaking when they emerged from the labyrinthine compound through a low-set bunker that belied the size of what was hidden beneath the ground.  Twice more they had been stopped, and twice more Jack had strong-armed his way to safety.  Around them, mist rose from the ground as it heated in the daylight.  He had three more shots in his pistol.

                BT, exhausted, had collapsed an hour earlier, and Jack now carried him on his back, steadfastly supporting his friend.  The former AI had been dozing, head on his shoulder when the first rays of sunlight fell across their faces, waking him. He startled, almost throwing Jack off balance.

                “Easy, BT,” He murmured soothingly, feeling the alarm subside through the Link.  “You doing OK?” He asked when BT said nothing. 

                “Batteries low,” BT murmured for lack of a better description.  “I’m sorry to make you carry me,” He added forlornly.

                “Hey, you’ve been hauling my ass around everywhere since we first met. It’s my turn.” Jack tried to add a little laughter, but his throat closed.  He spotted a fenced scrapyard nearby, and angled towards it.  He thought he could see…  “BT, I think that’s your old chassis in there.”

                “There’s an encrypted emergency beacon hidden in the cockpit,” BT said.  “I doubt anyone examining m…” he cut off abruptly, heaving a sigh, “…it …would have recognized it for what it is.”  Jack nodded, careful not to address BT’s temporary slip.  Instead, he adjusted his grip on his friend’s legs, hoisting him closer.

                “Let’s hope.”

                Jack circled wide, approaching the area cautiously, but it was quiet. 

                “There,” BT pointed over his shoulder at the shadowy figure of a Stalker crouched at the foot of an old tanker.   Jack nodded.  He crept to the shadowed side of the fence and crouched low to let BT down. He huddled under a hulking pile of debris, tucked as far out of sight as possible. 

                “I’ll be right back,” Jack assured him. BT nodded mutely, pulling his knees up to his chest and cradling his shotgun in both arms defensively.

                Jack kept low and in the long morning shadows, getting as far from where the Stalker still sat as possible before it could notice him.  Finding cover through the fence, Jack frowned.  It hadn’t noticed him yet, but it would if he tried to hop the fence. 

                Across the yard, there was a loud _thwack!_ BT had tossed a rock into a pile of scrap metal. The Stalker jerked to its feet and began a steady march in that direction to investigate the noise. Jack wasted no time scampering up and over the fencing.  He crept up behind the large sentry in silence.  At the last second, it noticed him, but Jack’s hands were already nearly upon it. With one well-practiced twisting yank, he tore its head from the chassis.  The body collapsed with nothing more than a soft clatter.

                “Nice job, BT,” Jack said just loud enough that his friend could hear, already hurrying over to the crumpled Vanguard chassis nearby. 

                No amount of reassurance in the world that his friend was safe –relatively speaking –could stop the shiver that cracked down Jack’s spine at the sight of the wreck before him.  It was a dead as a Titan could look without literally being blown up, and still bore the familiar countenance of a beloved friend.  He had seen BT powered down, full of holes, and even dismantled both from battle and from repairs, but there had always been some sense of _life_ left.  This was nothing but an empty shell and it was well and truly disturbing. He did his best not to look, and hurried to wrest his way in through the twisted canopy doors.  The cockpit was dark, more lifeless than the outside, and Jack fumbled before finally finding an innocuous looking little box tucked far behind the seat.  It was dented and the paint was scuffed and it looked for all the world to be trash. Jack examined it, and eventually found a tiny replica of the emblem adorning the front of BT’s chassis in one corner.  He thumbed over it, and the box sprang open, revealing inside a small transceiver radio beacon. It was old, but reliable technology and he couldn’t help but smile a little in relief.  They had a chance, now.   Tucking it under one arm, he clambered back out and tip-toed his way back to where he had left BT.

               

                Much to Jack’s relief, his friend was where he had left him, propped against the fence tiredly, but alert and on the defense.  His head swiveled sharply in Jack’s direction as he approached, and the Pilot could see him relax visibly when he identified Jack.  Jack held out the beacon set and smiled.

                “Got it.  Let’s get to cover and call home.” 

                BT tried out a small, shaky smile.

                “That’s excellent,” He said. He stood slowly, groaning. “Why does everything I do feel terrible?”  Jack chuckled wryly.

                “You’ll get used to it.  It’s not _all_ bad,” He said unhelpfully.  BT scowled at him, and Jack sobered. “No, really.” He cocked his head, better examining the man in the light of day. “You’ve been cut up, bruised, malnourished and god knows what else… yeah. I expect it hurts. A lot.  I promise it gets better.”  He moved closer, bending his knees and beckoning.  “C’mon.  I gotta carry you or we won’t be able to move very fast.”  BT had fallen mute again, but nodded.

 

                The sun had risen properly by the time Jack slowed his pace. They had come to a wooded area, and finally the Pilot felt they had enough cover to safely stop.  There had been no pursuit.  While there was a chance that the facility was only now awakening to find them missing, the lack of a fight still troubled him.    He didn’t like waiting for the other shoe to drop, but he would happily take any edge he was given. 

                For a moment, Jack simply stood, gazing down at the pale wrists crossed over his chest.   BT had fallen deeply into slumber as soon as the bunker was out of sight, and he had stayed that way even as Jack ran.   His friend’s temple rested against Jack’s neck, and his breathing was deep and even but with a slight rattle.  He had been weeping in his sleep, and would likely wake up congested.  Jack’s heart twisted in sympathy.  Even things he would consider a minor inconvenience were monumental firsts for the former Titan, and so far, none of it had been good.  He took a moment to look forward to the time when he could show BT how to be happy as well.

                “Hey…” He spoke softly, nudging BT’s face with his chin. “Wake up.” BT jerked awake with gasp, tensing.  “You’re safe,” Jack added quickly.

                “I keep going offline unintentionally…” BT murmured. He sounded groggy. 

                “Yeah. That’s your body recharging its batteries. It’s okay.” Jack said gently.   “Can you stand?”  BT eased off of Jack’s back carefully, wobbling, but standing well enough on his own. 

                “Where are we?” He asked, glancing all around.  He frowned. “I keep attempting an infrared…”

                “I’d say we’re at least fifteen kilometers from the bunker.” Jack said. “I think we’re probably safe to try and contact the Militia.”  BT nodded.  Jack pulled out the beacon and carefully initiated each of three guarded switches.  An indicator light illuminated almost immediately, pulsating gently with the rhythm of the SOS.  “I just hope there’s someone nearby, or we could be waiting a long time,” Jack murmured.  He sat down against a massive old-growth conifer, and gestured to BT to join him. “You should get some more sleep,” Jack suggested. “I’ll keep an eye out for trouble.”  BT hesitated, and Jack watched him thoughtfully.  The poor man only had that sheet still, and he clung to it at his chest unconsciously.  At length, he gathered it up tighter around himself and eased down to the earth to seat himself beside Jack.  “Cold?” Jack asked.  He wished he had at least a jacket he could give.  BT thought on the question, comparing what he felt to what he knew.

                “Yes.”  Jack nodded. 

                “C’mere.” He swung an arm over BT’s shoulders and pulled him flush against his side. 

                “You’re warm,” BT said softly.  Jack chuffed out a low laugh.

                “I’m hot and sweaty from running,” He gave BT’s side a gentle squeeze, shifting so he could look him in the eyes. “I’ve got your back, you know that, right?” He tilted his head questioningly when BT said nothing.  “I can feel you’re pretty freaked out, and I don’t blame you.  I’d be freaked out too.” BT blinked at him uncertainly. “I just… I don’t know if we can fix this…but regardless, I’m gonna do everything I can to help you through it, OK?  You’re not alone.  Ever.”  

                BT’s eyes glittered, a bittersweet smile crossing his features.   Jack felt his chest tighten and his eyes start to sting.  “I know,” BT whispered.  “I trust you.”  

                Jack cleared his throat, certain he was going to cry, and was relieved when his friend looked away after that, sagging further against his shoulder and settling down for a nap.    Jack heaved a sigh.

 

                BT awoke – he still hated the feeling of sleep: coming in and out of consciousness unintentionally – to the sound of Jack speaking in a low murmur.

                “No, we don’t need to accommodate a Titan… It’s gone.” A pause. “Two.  _Two_. He needs medical attention.”  Another long pause. “ _Look_ ,”

                BT let out a long shuddering sigh, straightening up and Jack looked over at him sharply.

                “I’m sorry, Buddy. I tried not to wake you,” Jack apologized. He turned back to the old radio. “I don’t want to have to explain it all right now.  It’s… _yeah._ ” BT watched Jack scowl as he listened.  “Good. _Good._ ”  At length, Jack set the radio aside and looked at him.  “We have an hour to get to an extraction point another ten klicks from here.” 

                BT nodded, hauling himself to his feet and gathering his sheet back up around him. He had no concern about modesty but he was _cold_ and he would take anything he could get. 

                “I can walk, now.” He said helpfully.

                “Yea but we’re gonna have to book it faster than a walk.”  Jack saw BT’s frown and his face softened. “Sorry, Buddy.” Jack added.  BT closed his eyes against Jack’s sympathetic face for a long moment, steeling himself.

                “Yeah, okay.  Let’s go.”

* * *

Look! Lovely Lovely fanart thanks to [doughnutandcoffee11](http://archiveofourown.org/users/doughnutandcoffee11/pseuds/doughnutandcoffee11) !!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is just kind of a bridge chapter... >.> Will try to get the next one up today as well so that something ACTUALLY happens.


	4. Chapter 4

\--4--

                Jack’s legs had been burning in protest for quite some time by the time they reached the rendezvous point, but he would be damned if he slowed down.  The shuttle was just descending into a clearing through the trees as they approached, and he made one last push to get there just as it touched down.  It wasn’t safe to linger. 

                He stood, gasping for air, as the rear cargo door opened and a ramp dropped down. Jack’s eyebrows went up in surprise. There stood none other than Commander Briggs herself to greet them.  Her eyes flashed wildly when she realized Jack was not alone.

                BT’s grip around Jack’s shoulders tightened slightly, instinctively reacting to that unfriendly gaze.  Her palm rested over a pistol on her hip.   BT squirmed, trying to free himself from Jack’s grip but he held on.  Briggs would not go through Jack that much he was certain, and so he shielded his friend until he was certain he would be safe.

                “ _Commander_ ,” Jack’s voice was soft, strained from exhaustion and anguish and a fair bit of alarm at her reaction to seeing BT.  “It’s _BT_.”  

                Her eyes went wide and her scowl deepened, and she stormed down the ramp towards them. Jack drew up short.  On his back, BT was rigid and trembling faintly.  Briggs was nearly toe-to toe with Jack when she stopped, peering over his shoulder into the eyes of the unfamiliar man he carried.

                “Hello, Commander.” BT said softly and she recoiled, stunned by the familiarity of the voice.  “I’ve gotten into some real trouble, this time,” He finished. Her jaw hinged open.

                “It’s not some trick,” Jack said quietly.  “The Link is intact.” He let BT down finally and glanced back at him.  “I don’t know how they did it, but…”

                “Holy shit,” Briggs breathed.

                “I still don’t understand what that’s supposed to mean,” BT said wryly.  All at once, the Commander’s eyes softened and she smiled warmly. 

                “Glad to have you back with us BT, Jack.”  She said at last. 

                “He needs medical attention,” Jack blurted out.  Brigg’s expression warmed even further.

                “So do you, Cooper.”

                “The hell with that. BT first.”

 

                Jack watched from across the cargo bay of the little shuttle as a pair of medics saw to BT, his friend barely tolerating the attention.  He had been dressed in basic fatigues, though for now his shirt was open and pulled off his shoulders as he was examined closely.  They seemed oblivious as BT flinched every time a hand laid on his skin, or how he cringed whenever he just missed a gesture out of his peripheral vision.  His eyes were wide and glassy, and the Link showed Jack that the former AI was on the brink of a panic attack.

                “Hey guys,” He murmured softly, drawing the attention of only one of the medics.  She turned and looked at him curiously and he gestured for her to approach him. “You realize he’s about to have a total meltdown, right?” He asked her when she was close enough that he could whisper.  “He’s not used to being touched, or in pain, or in anything, and all he’s known for the last three weeks is abuse.” Her eyes grew wide, and she nodded, hurrying back to her partner.   Jack watched as he paused from cleaning one of BT’s scars to face her. He nodded. 

                “Janelle is going to finish up with you,” He told BT, and then moved away.   BT shot Jack a stern  knowing stare, but relief filled their Link.  Jack shot him a small grin. _It’ll be okay Buddy,_ he thought, watching as the medic, Janelle, handled him much more carefully.   

                Commander Briggs descended out of the cockpit and sat herself next to Jack, observing quietly with him for a few moments.  BT was shivering visibly, but his face lit up with gratitude when the woman treating him handed him a blanket.

                “How does this happen?”  Briggs said quietly.  Jack shook his head, at a loss. He had finally had a few minutes to wonder this himself, and it was all beyond him.

                “No idea. I don’t know what their purpose was.  Maybe for no other reason than to see if they could?   Maybe they thought it would be a crushing blow to our morale?  I’m still worried. We got away _way_ too easily.” Briggs nodded in agreement. 

                “We’ll worry about that when the other shoe drops. I’m just glad we got you…and BT back.” She paused. “How’s he handling it?”

                “Not well.  Nobody was prepared for this.  He hadn’t even figured out what had happened, when I found him.” Jack paused. “He’s holding it together so well, despite how he really feels. I’m pretty proud of him, to be honest.” Jack said, smiling softly.   Briggs cocked her head, peering at Jack.   He shrugged it off.

                “So what now?” She asked.  Jack rubbed his face.

                “I…dunno.  I’ll worry about that once BT is… okay.  I – whatever.  If we get him put back to normal, or adjusted, or… I dunno. But I’m not going to worry about anything else for now.”  He glanced up at Briggs suddenly, and grimaced. “Err… your permission, Sir.”  Briggs gave a small laugh, patting his shoulder affectionately.

                “Well of course I’m not going-“

                “J-Jack!”  BT’s voice was high with alarm, and both Pilot and Commander’s attention swung back to the former Titan.   Janelle had an IV bag strung up and was preparing to insert the needle.  She had her lower lip in her teeth and her eyebrows were knit. She didn’t want BT to suffer either, and she really didn’t want the ire of either of the two people staring over at her now. 

                Jack leapt to his feet and hurried over to BT.

                “Hey, she’s safe,” He told BT. BT nodded, agreeing.  He still had one arm out obediently for her, but he clutched at his chest with his other hand. Jack placed his palm against BT’s chest, and could feel his heart thumping hard.  Fear throbbed into him from the other man.  He ran his hand in circular motions, soothing BT’s pulse back down.  “This will help you feel better,” he said.

                “Y-yeah.  I know.” BT said, cringing.  “I just…” 

                “Yeah, I get it.”  Jack glanced over his shoulder at the medic. “Don’t worry about what she’s doing, just look at me, okay? I bet you don’t even feel it.”  BT bit his lip, keeping his eyes locked on Jack’s and resolutely not looking at Janelle.  “How ‘bout when we get home I show you some of those movies I’ve told you about…” BT smiled a little, and Janelle set quickly to work with the IV. 

                “I’d like that.”  BT started to glance her way and schooled his eyes forward again.  “A-and I want you to teach me to swim.  You seem to really love it.”

                “Hey, no problem!” Jack said, smiling a little more honestly.  He reached out, pulling up BT’s blanket where it had sagged off one shoulder.  “Whatever you want. It’ll be good fun.”

                “There!” Janelle said brightly, and BT looked over at her in shock, stunned.

                “I forgot…” He glanced down at his arm, the line inserted neatly and a bandage placed over the point of entry. 

                “Hey, she’s good!” Jack grinned at BT, who was still staring down at his arm in awe. “Don’t stare at it you’re gonna wig yourself out again.”

                “Cooper,” Brigg’s voice caught both their attentions. “Your request is granted. Consider yourself on sabbatical for as long as you and BT need.

                BT blinked at Jack.  “What?” Jack smiled.

                “You’re stuck with me, Buddy.”

                 BT’s face unfolded out of tension and a broad grin stretched out in the place of fear.

                “Oh good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I stop here? Do I keep going? How Gay is this gonna get, because I can promise you, if I let it go any further it's _gonna_ get gay. And probably start to ramble pretty badly.   
>  I can't decide. ==_==;


	5. Chapter 5

\--5—

                BT stared at Jack’s bed, made neatly and entirely unassuming.  He knew perfectly well what it was, what it was used for, and the basic principle that humans needed sleep, and preferably somewhere safe and comfortable to do so.  Jack had often described the joy of finding the _perfect_ position, temperature, surface softness, and more.  A human spent nearly half his life asleep, after all, so it made sense that not only doing so, but how it was done, was important. 

                BT was not human. 

                Not yet, anyway.  He had a human body, and a basic understanding of humanity, and even a pretty good understanding, forty eight hours after waking up alone in the dark in an IMC research facility, of his own physiology.  He had, however, the mind of a Titan.  Of an artificially created intelligence that was suddenly faced with being very strikingly _not_ artificial.   However he had been inserted into this body aside, key…base programming, for lack of better words, remained. Instinct, emotion, reflexes and mobility, to name a few, remained intact, but BT experienced it all from arms’ length, as if observing himself from a distance.  He wondered when _existing_ would cease to feel so alien to him.

                “I don’t like sleeping,” he said softly.  From just behind him, Jack laughed a little. 

                “Speak for yourself!”  He ran a hand over BT’s back soothingly, nudging him forward.  “I love it.   Look, you won’t always be passing out uncontrollably like you have been, but your body was pretty messed up.  A night or two of proper rest and it won’t be so uncommanded.”  BT let out a soft snort – he did enjoy the greater range of expression he now had – and turned to face Jack. Of course Cooper would know _why_ he didn’t like it.   “Promise,” Jack added.  “Now, boots off, belt off.  And whatever else makes you comfortable.”  BT sat on the edge of the bed, artfully hiding his surprise at how low he sank into the soft mattress, and watched Jack helpfully loosen the laces on his boots.

                “I can do it,” He said, gently nudging Jack away.  Jack stood back, his smile crooked. 

                “If you need anything,” He gestured towards the door with a tilt of his head. “I’ll be just out there, ‘kay?”   He backed out as he spoke.  BT swallowed back a flash of anxiety, and let his friend go.   The boots, and the belt went, and after some consideration, he wiggled out of his shirt, pulled back the covers, and eased down.

                He immediately understood a little more where Jack was coming from.  This, yes, this was very different from nodding off at random against a tree stump in the woods.  From the next room, he heard Jack laugh brightly, the Pilot no doubt sensing the change in BT through the strangely resilient Neural Link. BT sighed, shrugging off the mirth he could feel from his friend, and rolled into the pillows. 

 

                BT slept soundly enough for several hours, but soon the memories oozed back into his dream state and he found himself reliving those first few horrible minutes filled with confusion and pain. He was caught in a loop he couldn’t escape, and when he saw his pale trembling hands for the first time, for the fourth time in a row, he awoke with a shout.  

                BT’s eyes darted all around as he tried to identify where he was, but it was too dark to see and in his rattled state, he could hardly comprehend anything.  He choked back a cry, getting tangled in the blankets as he tried to jump up, certain he had something he needed to escape from.  He twisted, flailing, and toppled to the floor onto all fours with a yelp and a thud. He gasped as muted pain bloomed into his wrists and knees, and panic rose up into his throat.

                “BT?” The bedroom door opened, allowing a sliver of light from the next room to illuminate the space gently, and there stood Jack, staring down at the former AI in concern.  All at once reality came crashing back to BT and he groaned, curling up and hiding his face with his hands.  “Nightmare?” Jack asked.  BT nodded, keeping his face hidden.  Jack moved forward quickly, bracing BT’s shoulder with one hand and helping him sit up and unwrapping the tangle of bedding around the other man’s ankles. “C’mon…” He sighed as he helped BT back to his feet, turning him back to the bed.

                “Stay?” The word tumbled out of BT unchecked, and earned him a long stare through the darkness.  “I know…” BT trailed off.  “Maybe it’s not… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he rushed the words, and the unsaid ‘but’ hung in the air.   Jack shrugged it away good naturedly. 

                “Sure…but you have to make room,” he gestured with his hands for BT to scoot back. BT obliged, and Jack had barely sat on the mattress when the former Titan grasped him around the middle with both arms and hauled Jack backwards against him, hugging him from behind.   Jack coughed out a small laugh. BT pressed his forehead into the gap between Jack’s shoulder blades, at war with both burning embarrassment and the almost overwhelming need to keep Jack close.  He went very still, barely daring to breathe as he waited for more of a reaction, already regretting the impulse.  After a moment, however, Jack’s fingertips folded over the back of BT’s hands on his chest and the Pilot let out a long sigh, relaxing.  “Feel better?” Jack asked.  BT nodded into his back, and Jack gathered BT’s arms up tighter around himself.   “Good.”

                “This is…” BT struggled for the words.  “A long time coming, if I’m honest.”  He knew Jack could feel his emotions, guessed that the Pilot probably understood the strange indistinct bitter sweetness swelling in his chest better than he did.  “I…” BT swallowed, started again. “Thank you for sticking with me, Jack.  For treating me as more than what I was built to be… I’d be all alone right now, if it weren’t for you.”  Jack was quiet for a very long time, and BT started to worry he’d overstepped some invisible boundary.

                “Same,” Jack’s voice cracked, just a little.  The Pilot shifted, briefly struggling to pull up the covers.  “Guess we gotta stick together, huh?” He added, voice a little stronger. 

                BT nodded as he sagged against his friend, letting the softness of cotton over warm skin and muscle sooth away the shadows that had been clouding his mind.  He focused on the sound of the heartbeat, and the breathing, and finally he slept soundly.

 

                Jack remained awake.  He had gotten barely more than a short nap during the jump back to Harmony, and a few hours on the couch more recently, but now sleep evaded him.

                He was not uncomfortable, as he would have suspected. Quite the contrary, in fact.  He supposed, in a way, he was much more used to some level of intimacy with BT than not.  Nearly a year had passed since they first linked on Typhon, and had hardly been separable since.  

                Jack pushed back slightly, pressing himself against BT’s chest, heard the other man grunt softly in his sleep before tightening his steadfast grip around Jack.   The Neural Link was placid for the first time in weeks.  Jack tried to remember another time in his life he had felt this kind of connection, this level of camaraderie, with anyone else.  From his mother, to his best friend in grade school, to his first girlfriend, to the guys in Basic… no-one had made Jack’s soul go still and calm like it was at this very moment.   He fought slumber, reveling in the sense of inner tranquility, cataloguing what made _this_ different. 

                He didn’t know. 

                He supposed it didn’t matter.  BT was much more than a machine, or a man, or whatever meeting of the two he had become.  Whatever it was, the bond he shared with Jack had deep-running roots, and if Jack had been willing to accept it this long without question, he reckoned he could continue to do so.  Reassured that his resolve had not been shaken –and that had been Jack’s true fear – the Pilot was able to allow himself sleep at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had post-traumatic dreams only once: I came as close to crashing an airplane as I care to get during an early-on solo flight as a student pilot (like...third time flying on my own??). I, to over-simplify, essentially forgot to slow down on landing and augured in WAY too fast, landed, luckily, on all three wheels and rebounded back up into the air. I did the right thing and was able to recover safely without injury to myself or the aircraft, but that night I relived the moment of impact on endless looping repeat like a badly edited gif loop for HOURS.  
> It wasn't a very nice night. This isn't the only tiny snippet from personal experiences stacking up in this fic, but it's the biggest one so far. 
> 
> And yes, BT will man up eventually, once he settles in a little more, but for now, Jack-Nanny is on duty. (spoiler: He's OK with this)
> 
> ALSO! BIG HUGE THANKS AND LOVE TO doughnutandcoffee11 who did some GORGEOUS fanart for this fic! With permission, I'll be attaching it to the proper chapter hopefully soon <3 <3 <3  
> (No lie, I've been sitting here just gazing lovingly at it all evening)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 2 and 3 now include art!

\--6—

                Much to his surprise, Jack woke alone.

                At first, he wondered if it all had been a dream: the capture, the weeks of imprisonment, BT…  He sat up and searched the room, doubting himself, until his eyes fell on an extra pair of boots by the bed.  He rubbed his face, sagging.  Nightmarish though the experience had been, it was all too real.

But…where was BT?  He eased out from the covers, peering through the cracked bedroom door into the front of his little studio, but it was empty.  It only took a second glance to find BT in the washroom, bent over the sink and staring into the mirror, his expression morose.

                “BT?”  Their eyes met through the reflection, and Jack finally had the time to notice the uncanny aquamarine hue looking back at him.   In that moment, Jack came to the abrupt and striking belief that the Titans had souls, because he swore he would recognize that gaze anywhere.  His heart skipped a beat, and he pummeled down the rush of emotion as BT straightened up with a heavy sigh and turned to face him.  “You okay, pal?” Jack asked through a suddenly dry mouth.  BT shrugged.

                “Trying to recognize that person looking back at me.”  He turned, picking up a wet washcloth and scrubbing roughly at his face with it as if he could wipe away the strangeness and rediscover his old self underneath. “I feel detached… like watching myself through a holofeed real-time.”  He set aside the cloth and began poke at a scar on his temple. It was dark and scabbed over now.  “Itches,” BT grumbled.

                “It’s gonna hurt if you scratch at it though,” Jack warned.  BT let his hand drop.

                “I know.”   BT gave Jack a bitter smile.  “I’ve already been warned not to touch it too much.  I look forward to it healing.”

                “Stitches suck,” Jack said, placating.  “But for what it’s worth, since it doesn’t look infected, the itching is probably a good sign that it’s healing fast.”   BT had to force his own hand away again.

                “I hope so.”

Jack backed his way out of the little washroom.  “Anyway, when you’re done washing up, we can get breakfast.”

 

 

Jack stealthily watched BT as they walked out of the barracks to the mess hall.  Today, his friend’s gait was much stronger, more confident.  BT held himself with dignity, his spine straight and his eyes forward, entirely belying the almost overwhelming anxiety that Jack detected through the link.   At the moment, he had his wrist up by his face.

“Your detergent smells nice,” he commented, and it took Jack a moment to realize he was referring to his shower gel.  Jack laughed.

“Humans stink. We do everything we can to cover it up.”   BT dropped his arm, shooting Jack a scandalized look.

“That’s disgusting, Jack.”  Jack barked out another laugh, but cut short when BT stopped suddenly.  He had just pushed through one of the big swinging doors into the mess hall only to grind to a halt at the threshold.  Jack peered around his friend and grimaced.

The place was packed.

BT went into reverse, colliding with Jack.  He wasn’t ready to explain himself to the world.

“Not hungry,” He muttered, trying to elbow his way back out.  Jack caught him by the belt.

“Nuh uh you’re already malnourished, I heard what the medics said.  Plus I know you’re bullshitting me: I heard your stomach earlier.”

“I’m _not_ ,” BT hissed, even as Jack drug him through the doors. “Can’t it wait?”

“You think blowing up from a critically low battery sucks, think how fun collapsing from low blood sugar and winding up in the hospital is.” Jack argued.  BT relented with a huff. “Besides, these guys don’t know you from Adam.   Nobody’s gonna look twice.”  Jack swiveled on his heel, walking backwards to face BT, and nearly tripped when he saw his friend’s stricken expression.   A moment too late he realized that the usually noisy cafeteria had gone dead quiet.  “ _Shit._ ”  News traveled fast.

BT’s nostrils flared briefly as he drew in a deep breath, and then the look of trepidation vanished. He straightened his shirt, brushing out a wrinkle with his palms. 

“Counting the two of us, there are one-hundred and ninety seven people in this room.  Three hundred and ninety eyes,” BT listed the numbers softly.  “But you’re right. Nobody’s looked twice because they’re all still staring.”  Jack grimaced.  He could see BT’s fingertips quiver just slightly, and honest terror pushed at him through the link.  He turned his back on his friend to face the room, inflating his chest with a long breath.

“If you’ve got a question,” He bellowed, “take a goddamn number!”   All across the room, soldiers and staff alike became suddenly engrossed in their meals. Jack turned a bright look on BT, who couldn’t hide his startled expression.  “There, see? No-one’s gonna look twice.”

 

By the time they found an empty table on the outskirts of the crowd, BT had settled out of his sour mood, distracted by examining his meal scrupulously.  Jack had nearly gotten in trouble with his friend again by telling the cook he’d been in medical for three weeks and that this was his first real meal since.  She had happily loaded his plate to the brim, much to BT’s candid horror.

“This could be enough food for three people,” he commented, dismayed.

“Just take what you want. I’ll clean up what’s left,” Jack had promised.

Now he picked at the mountain of food, clearly hesitant.  It had taken a fair bit of arguing from Jack the night before to get the former Titan to at least have a protein bar.  The poor guy was feeling completely victimized by his biology.

“Pro tip,” the medic from the rescue, Janelle, appeared at BT’s side, seating herself.  He scooched away from her subtly, preferring his space.  She didn’t seem to notice. “It works better if you eat it.”   BT sighed, turning to look at her.

“Hello,” he said just a little forlornly.  She gave him a sweet smile.

“You look a little better.” 

“I don’t feel like it,” He admitted. Jack sat back, watching. Janelle’s face was gently sympathetic, open and friendly.  Her passive demeanor made it easy for BT to speak honestly.  “I’m completely out of my element,” BT admitted.  She had started to eat enthusiastically, and he watched her, studying the process she took for granted. 

“You make being human sound really awful,” she pointed out between mouthfuls. “It’s not all that bad.”

“A physician had to explain _everything_ to me.  Bathing. Chewing. Blowing my nose if I become congested. Defecation,” BT said flatly.  She fumbled her next forkful, and BT pulled out a small notepad, tossing it open onto the table.  “I was ordered to take notes.”  Jack eyed the notepad from afar.  The handwriting was atrocious.   Janelle was still recovering from her second-hand embarrassment. “While I imagine I’ll settle in quickly enough,” BT continued, “I have a monumental learning curve to overcome at the moment. It’s daunting.”  Janelle’s face softened.

“Yeah, I can see how that’s got to be really hard.”  She patted his arm comfortingly. He flinched. “At least you’ve got Mr. Cooper here, though.”  BT softened noticeably as he glanced across the table at Jack briefly, finally taking his first bite of his meal.  The gamut of expressions that flickered across his face as he experienced the taste and texture of eggs for the first time made both Jack and Janelle grin, and when BT had swallowed, he looked significantly less morose.

“Indeed,” He agreed.

               

                For all of his initial resistance, BT was still working on his significantly diminished mountain of food when Jack finished his own meal.   Janelle was long gone, and nobody else in the busy dining room pestered them.  Jack reached across the table, helping himself to BT’s notebook. He flipped to the first page, and there, underlined repeatedly were the words “ _Don’t Scratch the Scars._ ”  He smiled, but puzzled over the dichotomy of the careful, precise spelling and grammar, but terrible chicken scratches.  He looked over at BT, noticed how awkwardly he held his fork. 

                “Hey, put the fork down for a minute,” Jack said, and BT obeyed out of surprise as much as anything.  Jack held up the notepad.  “You having a tough time writing?”  BT made a displeased face.

                “It’s that obvious?”  He asked self-consciously.

                “Yeah, it kind of is,” Jack said.  Unable to soften the blow, he hurried to his point.   “But… I thought you were left handed?”  He pointed at BT’s fork, which still rested in the fingertips of his right hand slightly.  BT blinked at him and looked down at his own hand.   His left hand was curled as if it too were grasping the utensil.  

                “It’s how everyone else…” BT trailed off, switching hands.  He straightened up in surprise. 

                “It’s uncommon enough for humans to have a dominant left hand that you might not have observed a south-paw yet,” Jack explained. 

                “A what?”

                “South paw. Cute vernacular referring to someone who’s left handed.” Jack gestured to BT’s hand. “Feel better?”

                BT weighed the fork in his hand thoughtfully.

                “It does. Thank you for noticing.”  He took several more bites before stopping himself, looking down at his nearly cleaned plate. “I…didn’t leave you much.” He admitted, pushing what little was left towards Jack.  Jack laughed.

                “Don’t worry. I’d rather you ate it anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lookit me just barfing out chapters like I have nothing better to do... (I have nothing better to do)!
> 
> Up until now I had been kind of pulling this fic out of my @$$ but today I did take the time to plot out...some plot. Just a little. 
> 
> Midway Bot/Human BT is a tough man to write for. :| He's definitely more himself today, though.


	7. Chapter 7

\--7—

                Jack leaned against the doorway of the med suite, watching BT fight to not fidget as a nurse examined the array of scars latticing his head.  He sat primly on the edge of a gurney and his bright clear eyes kept darting over to meet Jack’s briefly before averting to the floor again.  One foot would swing occasionally, even though he knotted his hands together anxiously.

                “Yep, these are ready,” the nurse said happily.  He thumped a hand over BT’s knee good naturedly.  Jack could feel the cringe more than he saw it.  BT really didn’t like his personal space invaded.  “Do you want to lay down?” He offered when he noticed how uncomfortable BT looked.

                “I’m fine,” BT said, stubborn.  The nurse shrugged, unperturbed, and positioned himself to start removing the myriad of stitches.

                “This is going to feel pretty weird,” he advised, and BT nodded once before going still. 

                Jack watched the nurses’ steady hands as he carefully cut each stitch, one row at a time, BT sitting calmly.  It wasn’t until the nurse grasped the first suture with a pair of forceps and gently tugged it free of the skin that the former AI’s serene expression crumpled.

                “Ooh!” BT’s shoulders hiked up in an exaggerated cringe, though he managed to keep his head still under the nurse’s hands. “Oh, that’s very strange,” he went on. “I can hear them dragging as they come out!”

                “Oh yeah, I’ve heard people with head injuries complain about that before,” the Nurse said, amused.  “Don’t worry, everything’s going fine.”

                Jack arched an eyebrow.  BT had a fair complexion to begin with, but the skin on his face was starting to look like paraffin as the blood drained out. Tiny beads of sweat started to glitter on his temple, but if the nurse noticed, he ignored it.  BT’s eyes went unfocused and Jack had to fight back a crooked smile.  His friend’s tough-guy act was quickly crumbling.  BT pitched forward, bracing his elbows on his thighs.

                “Uh…”

                “Almost done,” the nurse reassured him.

                “Getting woozy, BT?” Jack asked, and damn it there was a little bit of a laugh in his voice.  That he didn’t get an icy glare for his mirth revealed just how uncomfortable BT had become.

                “Y-yeah.”   He breathed out the one small syllable before his elbows slipped and he pitched forward limply.

                “Whupps!” The Nurse moved to catch his patient as BT collapsed off the edge of the gurney, but Jack was already there, levering his unconscious friend over one shoulder and gently easing him to the floor.

                “Aww Jeez,” Jack lamented, propping BT against his chest.  “Can you just finish up from here? Before he notices?” The nurse let out a bemused snort.

                “Sure.”

 

 

                “You laughed at me!”  From the passenger seat of the jeep, BT scowled at Jack. 

                “I’m sorry…!” Jack took his eyes off the road as he drove momentarily to flash an apologetic grin at his friend.   “You were just acting so tough, and then you dropped like a bag of flour…” BT huffed, but Jack could tell he wasn’t actually mad at him.  “But it feels a lot better now, right?”

                BT ran a hand over his own head. A short fuzz of hair had finally regrown, but the scars still stood out starkly as a series of rough creases under his palm. 

                “There are not sufficient words for the relief after all of that _itching_ ,” BT spat the word.   Jack laughed, and BT turned away to look outward.  “This is picturesque,” he commented on the scenery. 

                “There’s a lake at the bottom of this canyon,” Jack said.  “Some of the guys and I came out here last summer. It’s pretty neat.” 

                “I don’t remember Harmony’s landscape being like this,” BT said softly. He leant his face into the airstream of the truck slightly.   Jack struggled with wanting to watch and having to drive.  “I assume because it didn’t matter to me, before.”

                “Is it strange? The difference, I mean,” Jack asked.  BT kept his gaze turned away as he answered.

                “In a way,” BT answered slowly, analyzing his feelings as he spoke.  “My memories as a Titan are perfectly intact, but…all of that seems like a very long time ago, now.  I recognize that I can’t go back to how I was, and so I have let go of it.  Moving on, into unknown territory, makes everything strange.   I imagine someday this will be my new normal, but not yet.”  BT finally looked back at Jack. “I sense that you’ve enjoyed me being like this,” Jack grew tense.  He had.  Bringing BT the rest of the way into his world, even under duress, had brought a level of companionship to Jack that he had missed most of his life.  Even knowing that BT suffered for it, Jack had a tiny spark of joy.  The guilt plagued him more than he cared to admit.  BT took a moment to continue, clearly gauging Jack’s physical and emotional reaction to his words, but when he spoke again his voice was gentle.  “Please understand I am not human, merely memetic of one.” 

                They had arrived at the end of the trail and the foot of a sparkling lake.   Jack brought the jeep to a stop, shutting it down quickly.  He drew in a long breath, ran his hands over his face, and finally turned to face BT who was waiting patiently for him to say something.

                “Yeah, you’re right.” Jack admitted. “But really, I’ll take you however you come.   You’re my best friend, BT.  That’s enough for me.”

                Some tremendous, unnamable emotion rolled over in Jack’s stomach and rose up through his chest as he spoke, gripping his throat until it closed around the last words.  Though he fought it down ferociously, he could see the very minute it traveled through the Neural Link and struck BT, the other man’s aquamarine eyes glittering suddenly.  Jack coughed and hurriedly unbuckled himself and leapt out of the vehicle, even as BT began to cant his head quizzically, his stare searching.

                “C’mon, we’ve got a few good hours left before it gets dark,” Jack was saying, even as he circled around to open the door for BT.  “You said you wanted swimming lessons, right?”

 

                BT stood waist deep in the gently rippling water, enjoying the cool and feeling of buoyancy as he rested. After an hour of tutoring from Jack, he was far from athletic in the water, but he certainly wouldn’t drown. It was a beautiful afternoon, the brilliant blue sky littered with just enough puffy white clouds to add interest, their reflections waving serenely on the gently shifting waters.   There was birdsong coming from somewhere aloft.  BT liked the feeling of the sun on his face and the coolness of the water over his skin.  A little further out, Jack treaded water, eyes searching the depth for long periods before he would dive down, only to emerge with something in his fist. 

                BT couldn’t yet see what he was diving for, but he suspected his friend had amassed quite a collection of it in one of his shoes, for every time he came back with his prize, he would wade back to shore to save it.  BT watched, curious, but content to wait for Jack to show him whatever it was he was collecting.

                BT tired of the water before Jack did, and eventually sought dry land.  He sat in the sand, listening to the sounds of the water as he dozed, half asleep in a state of unprecedented relaxation. 

                At long last, Jack emerged from the water, sloshing and gasping.   BT cracked one eye open to find his friend staring wide-eyed his way.  That same strange, powerful thing pummeled the Link, but BT couldn’t identify what it meant.  He glanced behind himself, wondering briefly if Jack had spotted something, but when he looked back Jack had turned away and was fussing with his belongings.

 

                Jack stood ankle deep in the water, staring.  BT was stretched out, sun-drying himself with his eyes closed and an almost-smile relaxing his face.  It was as close to happy as he had seen his friend, and the sight struck him.  He realized he was staring, and his heart started to gallop as BT noticed, cracking one eye open to look over at him curiously.  Jack turned away quickly as something briefly distracted the former Titan, fiddling with his things. He kicked and clawed down the surge of emotion, knowing that if it went on too long that BT would notice it.  Jack certainly had, and he didn’t dare put a name on it.  He rubbed his face, drawing in a long, rattling breath to steady himself. 

                “Jack?” BT had sat up and was watching him curiously.

                “We need to cover up or get going before we get sunburnt,” Jack said, finally turning back around. “But first… ” He approached BT with his hands out, and BT stood to meet him. “Here.”  Cradled in his palms were a half dozen tiny glittering crystals, multifaceted and reflecting prismatic lights over their faces. Jack watched BT’s eyes widen with interest as he reached out to pluck one from Jack’s open hand to examine it more closely. 

                “How beautiful…” BT breathed, and his gaze shifted to meet Jack’s.  Jack fought against looking away.  He carefully tipped the rest of what he collected into BT’s hand, the crystals tinkling like glass as they rolled against each other. 

                “I hoped you would say that,” Jack said sheepishly, keeping his eyes on BT’s hand a moment too long.  He dragged his gaze back up and nearly collapsed from what he saw.  BT was smiling radiantly at him in an honest expression of delight.  His pulse stuttered and all at once Jack was brutally aware of how close he was standing to his friend, their toes only inches apart. He took one long step backwards and turned away slightly. “I mean,” he faked a small cough. “I always thought they were pretty neat, anyway.”  He sat heavily, stuffing himself back into his boots and shirt.  His shorts were still sopping wet but he suddenly didn’t want to sit around and wait for them to dry.  “Your scars are looking kinda’ red, BT,” he went on, marching back to the jeep.  “We should get back to the base.”  He was aware of BT watching after him, amused, with that warm smile lingering.  He dared a glance back, and was relieved to see BT following him without argument. 

                Back in the driver’s seat of the jeep, Jack took a moment to calm his inexplicably rattled nerves.  _What the hell, Jack?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AWWWWWWWWWWWWWFLUUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!! X)
> 
> Also! Guess who's had 30 stitches removed from the top of her head and fainted from it! This gal! (woot)  
> (and no it wasn't from an injury. Long story. But yea, it's a freaky sensation)  
> Only proof-read this once so if there's weird errors...I'll fix 'em later lol!


	8. Chapter 8

_\--_ 8—

 

                The bar was noisy, crowded, and smelt of spilled beer, and yet everyone present seemed tremendously excited to be there.  BT resisted the urge to scoot closer to Jack, instead staring down into the slowly condensing glass at his fingertips.  It was someone’s birthday- apparently a big deal – and there were a dozen or so Militia soldiers of varying rank and role packed around a cluster of tables.  The party had quickly spread to the entire establishment and a half-pint had been stuffed, unsolicited, into his hands the moment they had entered the building.   BT didn’t find the beverage entirely detestable but wasn’t compelled to chug it like his cohorts.  Jack too, he noticed, hung back slightly, even though it was astoundingly apparent that the other man knew every single person in the building, including the barman and every one of his staff. 

                The joviality of the atmosphere was by no means dampened by BT’s stoic disposition, and he enjoyed the opportunity to sit and quietly observe the people around him.

                Five weeks had passed since he had been so crudely thrust into humanity, and he felt, at last, like existing wasn’t quite as difficult as it had been. 

                Socializing, on the other hand, was a different story. 

                He, truly, did not consider himself human.  Human-like, definitely. Human-shaped: unavoidably.  Beyond that, however, things changed.  Jack understood him.  _Had_ understood him, for far longer than he’d been in his current body, and BT found himself growing complacent for it. In private, he could relax with the one whom remained his sole true friend.   He forgot, sometimes, that other people didn’t recognize the difference.  Agreeing to accompany Jack when the invite came, then, was what BT considered good practice at…existing.

                “Hey Tin Man,” Robert Taube, or Barker by his friends, had long ago selected that nickname for BT and he’d never appreciated it as little as he did now. “Yer beer’s gonna go warm if ya leave it ‘n it won’t taste good anymore.”  BT spared him a smirk.

                “You mean to tell me you actually consume this for the taste?” He feigned incredulity.

                Barker blinked at him, briefly stunned, before he threw his head back and laughed raucously.  More gratifying, however, was Jack’s quiet chuckle of amusement. 

                “Damn! He’s picked up that sarcasm thing fast!”   Barker crowed to Jack, slapping the table hard enough to rattle glasses.

                “I figured out sarcasm years ago,” BT informed primly.

                “It’s true,” Jack said with a grin. 

                “Dawww, lookit ‘ol Jackie all prow’d ‘f his baby titan!” BT didn’t recognize the man who’d leant over Barker’s shoulder to slur out the mocking comment, but he knew a drunkard when he saw one. BT drew up, let his displeasure show.

                “Continue to consider me subhuman if you wish, but I will not tolerate being treated as a child,” BT kept his voice even but his eyes flashed.  He knew that someone that drunk would not accurately perceive his obvious irritation, but he couldn’t hold it in.   Beside him, Jack had gone quiet, his displeasure rippling through the Neural Link ominously. 

                “Hey now, no-one meant it like that, Tin Man,” Barker drawled.  

                “Please don’t call me that, Robert,” BT said pointedly.  “You know I never liked it, and now that I’m…softer… it makes even less sense.” Someone else at the other end of the group let fly a belch and a laugh.

                 “Well he certainly gets harder when Coop’s around!” 

                 Jack groaned, and tossed back the last third of his beer in one gulp.  BT could feel his friend’s irritation start to haze over as the alcohol began its magic.   He eyed his own drink, wondering if he should just play along, if for no other reason than to soothe the social anguish.   A quick glance around at some of the miserable messes surrounding him and he decided he didn’t want to end up like _that_ and quickly changed his mind.

                “I recognize from your tone that you’re mocking me, but I have honestly no concept of what you’re implying,” BT lied, tone flat.   Awkward silence fell like a pall over the table, and BT boldly plowed on. “If you can’t endure explaining it to me, it wasn’t a very good joke anyway.” Being too drunk, he thought, was far worse than being too sober.   In the silence that stretched, Jack reached across BT, snatched up his mostly untouched drink, and downed it all in one long draw.   Someone shouted ‘Bar Foul!’ and Barker stood suddenly, looking honestly alarmed.

                “Whoa, easy there, Cooper!   Ya ain’t a fish!”  Jack shrugged away the comment.

                “I’m conducting an experiment.” Jack groused.   “I wanna see how much I have to drink before you lot don’t seem like total jackasses anymore.” He, for whatever reason, set the empty glass back down in front of BT where he’d collected it.

               “Jack, please don’t,” BT said quietly, though he honestly couldn’t blame the man. 

               “We’re jus’ sayin,’” Mr. Bar Foul said, “You guys seem _awfully_ close. Guess we assumed…” BT glanced over at Jack, feeling the burbling anger in his friend suddenly fizzle into something else entirely.  It felt a lot like fear.  Before he could begin to analyze the full depth of what he had notice, Jack clamped down on the link, silencing himself. 

               “Funny,” BT said quickly, drawing any attention away from Jack, “how being rescued from one’s singularly darkest moment might strengthen an already established friendship.” Beside him, Jack stood suddenly. 

               “It’s not how you thought.”  The Pilot picked up his empty glass, eyeing it as if it had offended him.  “I’ll get us another round.”  He skirted his chair, careful not to jostle BT as he made his exit, and vanished into the crowded floor.  BT watched him go. 

 

              “Hey handsome, you’re looking awfully dry there.”

              BT startled, the feminine voice had come from right beside his ear, and he turned rapidly to see none other than Janelle, the same girl who’d treated him after his rescue.  Her long blonde hair had been woven into an intricate braid that draped generously off her shoulder.  She held a pitcher of beer in one hand, and leaned over BT to fill his glass.  He fought back a flinch as her body pressed against his shoulder as she did so. When someone wolf-whistled she grinned, and promptly took Jack’s seat beside him. BT watched her warily. Her face was flushed and her eyes were a little unfocused. The lopsided grin she turned his way was sloppy. She smiled vapidly at him for a moment before her lips inverted into an exaggerated frown.

                “Oh, don’t be so tense!” She stood, leaning in close, and before he could stop her, she was unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt.  “You’re off duty, you don’t have to be so proper!”

                BT, of course, was off duty indefinitely. He liked being neatly dressed.  He didn’t remind her.  She had finished ‘fixing’ his shirt, but had not moved away, instead sitting close enough that her knee touched his thigh as she gazed up at him.  Uncomfortable, BT tried to edge away. 

                “Did you have something to say?” He asked.  The table had gone relatively quiet, all eyes on the exchange.

                “Yeah, I did,” Janelle said, but didn’t continue.

                “Then by all means, please…” He gestured with one hand for her to go on.  She said noting, but instead stood and swung one leg over his knees to straddle him.  BT jerked back but her hands were on his face and he was effectively pinned as she crushed her lips against his.

                It wasn’t unpleasant.  She was warm, soft, and the intimate contact ignited nerves he didn’t know he had.  He let her take her time.  Around them, a cacophony of catcalls and cheers thundered.  As Janelle pulled away, her big brown eyes glittered with excitement. BT drew in a long breath that shook just a little. 

                “I’m flattered,” He told her.   “You should know I don’t operate that way.” He put his hands on her hips and gently but firmly pushed her back.  “Anyway, I’m not what I look like. You would do better elsewhere.”  Her face went slack with shock as she let him separate their bodies.  To his relief, she looked crestfallen but not crushed.

                “Oh. Okay.” 

                “What are you _doing_ man?!”  Barker looked fit to tear his own hair out as the medic left in silence.  “A dish like that doesn’t come knocking every day…!” BT shrugged.

                “I’m not going to lie about being interested,” He said honestly. “Besides-“BT cut short, stunned silent by the sudden blast of emotion that erupted through the Neural Link.  He glanced around, looking for Jack, but the Pilot was nowhere to be seen.  The powerful surge of emotion faded as quickly as it came, but it had been enough to alert BT that something was wrong.  He stood.  “I have to go.”

 

 

                Jack swayed on his heels, watching through the crowd in dismayed silence as the medic-girl more or less mounted his friend and proceeded to passionately eat his face.  Beer sloshed over his knuckles as his hands shook.   Lightning had struck his mind, and as the thunder of jealousy and self-doubt rumbled, he had to almost physically fight back the awful feeling swelling up into his throat.   Shame quickly followed.

                BT was his own man. Adult, intelligent, and completely allowed to do whatever he wanted with whomever he desired.  Jack knew he had absolutely zero claim to that, but in that terrible moment, he wished he did.   The weight of five weeks’ worth of butterflies in his stomach, racing heartbeats, and far too much practice at closing off his end of the Neural Link finally severed the last frayed thread of denial. 

                He wanted that.

                He’d wanted to be BT’s first. He’d wanted it to be the right place and the right time, not some drunken mess in the presence of dozens of people who didn’t matter.  He’d wanted to be able to show BT that not everything about being human was pain and discomfort; that bliss existed if you took the right path, and _god_ but what he would do to see his friend smile again like he had that day out on the lake… Watching his friend calmly reject the girl’s advance made Jack feel no better. He did not wish ill on her, or feel anger towards BT.  If it had made his friend happy, he would have supported them through every painful moment, forever.  He tore his eyes away, staring forlornly down at his half-spilt beer.  He was not nearly as drunk as he would have preferred, but clarity evaded him nonetheless.  

                Feeling detached and hollow, he abandoned the drink at a random table and slipped through the crowd and into the night unnoticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That honestly went worse than I planned it to. >.> Oops.


	9. Chapter 9

\--9—

                BT found Jack outside the bar, fumbling with the key to the Jeep they had arrived together in.   He hurried to his friend’s side, intervening by gently taking the keys from the Pilot’s hands. 

                “I’ve got it,” BT said quietly.  “Are you alright, Jack?”  Jack’s head was down, even as he obediently went to the passenger side of the vehicle, mutely buckling himself in. 

                “Last drink hit me wrong. Feelin’ kinda sick,” Jack lied.  BT saw right through it, but if Jack didn’t want to discuss what the real problem was, BT wouldn’t pressure him. “You don’t have to bail just because I did,” Jack added.   BT blew out a wry laugh.

                “Are you kidding?” He’d started up the jeep and they were on the roll before he continued. “I was desperate for an escape.  I should thank you.”  He glanced over at Jack.  Jack’s gaze was turned down to his knees, the man’s hands wringing around one another tensely.  BT said nothing more, driving in silence.

 

                The short trip back to the base was a quiet one, and the walk back to Jack’s studio was even more so.  Not a soul had stayed in tonight.  It wasn’t until BT had palmed open the door to their shared home that Jack spoke for the first time since they had left the bar.

                “Janelle…she’s pretty cute,” Jack said softly.  “Nice girl.”  That feeling was back, and BT watched Jack carefully this time.   His face was deliberately neutral but his body sagged as if weighed down by some invisible force.  BT shrugged dismissively.

                “She’s pleasant to talk to.” He paused, eyeing Jack as the Pilot shuffled in after him.  “When it’s talking she wants.” He heaved a sigh.  “I don’t regret turning her away,” He went on.  “I don’t pretend to know what love feels like but I’m fairly positive that wasn’t close.” Whatever Jack had done to choke off his emotions through the link came undone suddenly, and the avalanche of _sadness affection desperation fear_ and _longing_ that engulfed them both through the Link actually made BT stagger from the force of it.  He looked up to see Jack’s stricken face and felt everything start to surge all over again as their eyes met.  For a moment they simply locked gazes, too stunned by the flood of emotions to do anything more.   Behind Jack, the door slid shut with a soft hiss, startling both men back to reality.

                “Jack…” BT breathed the name.  “Tell me... You can’t pretend I wouldn’t notice that,” BT said softly.   Jack clamped his eyes shut tight and let out a long, shaky breath.  “I want to understand,” BT added.  When Jack’s eyes opened again, they were glittering with unshed tears.  BT watched as Jack shook himself and then swiftly closed the distance between them in two long strides.  He barreled into BT, enveloping him in a firm embrace.   Never letting go as he moved, Jack drove BT backwards through the apartment until the back of BT’s knees collided with the couch and he toppled, Jack following him down.

                BT gasped against Jack’s lips as the Pilot pressed down over him, smothering him passionately.   BT went still, bewildered by the conflicting emotions pouring out of Jack and the surge of energy that followed as their bodies connected.  His friend’s hands here on his face, fingers combing through his short-trimmed hair, ghosting over his throat and clavicle.  Jack’s kiss seemed to burn as his lips massaged BT’s sweetly, the occasional swipe of his tongue over BT’s causing little jolts like electricity.   Desperation dripped from the Pilot’s mind, clinging to what might have been joy if it wasn’t so terribly lost in the quagmire of hurt.  BT sank into the Link, pulling at the tangled threads of Jack’s threadbare emotions, trying to decipher them.  Hoping to soothe them.

                “Jack…” BT pulled away enough to gasp the name, and Jack’s lips were on his jaw.  His heart hammered up in his throat as he braced his hands against Jack’s chest, leveraging him back enough to see his face. “ _Jack_.” He repeated the name more urgently and Jack went still, woefully dragging himself away from BT’s skin to meet his gaze.   “What…what are you _doing_ , Jack?” BT whispered sadly. The pieces of the puzzle were all falling together at an alarmingly swift pace, and BT knew Jack well enough to guess that this wasn’t how he planned to confess his interest.

                Jack hung his head low, his face inches from BT’s heaving chest.

                “Please don’t make me stop,” Jack said, barely audible.  “I can’t… please…just while I still have the…”

                “Jack you’re not yourself,” BT said, running his palm soothingly over the back of Jack’s head.   To his horror the Pilot hiccupped, tears falling freely to soak into BT’s shirt.  BT closed his eyes against the sight.  He thought he ought to tell Jack no; that if nothing else it…whatever _it_ was… should wait until he was fully sober, but he couldn’t convince himself to do it.   He was full of turmoil –his own as well as second hand from Jack-  but his friend’s skin on his made him feel luminescent. His body nearly vibrated from the energy of even that brief encounter. That bittersweet thing was still hanging between them in the Link and BT tentatively reached for it.  He held it, observed it….wanted more. 

                Jack waited for the rejection but when none came, he very cautiously lowered himself back down. His weight settled over BT, laid out over the couch, and their legs tangled.  Jack’s lips found the gap in the undone top buttons of BT’s shirt, mapping the hollow of his throat keenly.

                “I wanted…” Jack spoke sadly between peppering kisses over BT’s throat and face.  “I wanted you to need me…” He was opening BT’s shirt further with trembling hands.  The skin on BT’s chest seemed to burn every time one of Jack’s fingertips brushed him.

                “Need is temporary,” BT gasped out the words, letting his fingers curl into the back of Jack’s shirt as sensation slowly overcame his stoicism. “There are better things to have.”   Jack let out a low moan, grieved, and BT wrapped his arms around Jack’s shoulders, hugging him as much as attempting to restrain him.  “I know you’re in pain, Jack,” He was too, but he was determined not to notice for the time being.  Jack didn’t respond, his mind hazing over as he continued laying a trail of feathery kisses down BT’s now bare chest and belly.  BT grappled for control, divided between giving into pleasure and addressing the root of Jack’s dismay. 

In one deft gesture, Jack suddenly had BT’s pants open and before the former Titan could guess Jack’s intention, the pilot’s mouth was on him.  “Jack!” BT’s shout was more alarm than pleasure, and he jerked back.  Jack looked up from where he knelt between BT’s legs, eyes wide and horrified.  BT could instantly see that whatever the Pilot had planned wasn’t working out. 

                “Oh my god…” Jack breathed.   Sheer panic grappled with unparalleled self-loathing and confusion.  The feeling, even second-hand, made BT’s head swim. “I…” He went rigid and BT felt the man’s fight or flight instinct kick in a second before Jack leapt to his feet, backing away.  “BT… I didn’t mean… I’m so sorry…”  BT felt the remorse long before the words stammered out.

                “Jack!” BT stood, but the Pilot turned on his heel and darted out of the apartment without another word.

                BT stood, woebegone, for several long minutes before he finally sank back to his seat on the couch, stunned.  He contemplated chasing after Jack, but concluded that perhaps it was better to allow his friend some space.  Jack was clearly undone, and BT would only serve as a distraction while the Pilot labored to reassemble himself. 

                BT had some reassembling to do as well. His heart ached, and his skin felt branded where Jack had touched him.  Occluded under all of the Pilots fears and misgivings, there had been passion and if they could just bring it out into the daylight, it could be a beautiful thing.  BT had finally put his finger on the feeling he detected from Jack.  The same creature now slumbered under his ribs as well, docile, but far older than he had initially realized. This was not something that had manifested itself in the last few weeks, but had been there almost from the very start.  He remembered the same thing – younger and perhaps more innocent then – from the very moment he had Linked with Jack: The seedling of an affection that ran far deeper than the typical Pilot/Titan bond.  They had never denied its existence, but only now, by the light of compatibility, could they identify it.  

                Jack’s pain, BT realized, came from the Pilot being as certain of rejection as he was of his love of BT. 

                He had been right, BT realized.  He had rejected Jack, when push came to shove, but for none of the reasons the Pilot might have assumed. The former AI needed time.  He sighed heavily, rubbing his face with both palms as he laid back on the couch to wait.  This day had certainly risen quickly to his list of top five worst days ever.

 

                It was early morning when BT awoke on the couch.  He groaned softly. He was still in his boots, and there was a tremendous crick in his neck.  Filth from the bar clung to his skin.  He glanced around the apartment with a frown as he kicked off his shoes. Jack must have snuck in past him some time in the night.  He rose and padded across the small living space to where Jack’s bedroom door lay cracked open. He nudged the gap just enough wider to peer inside. 

                The room was exactly as he had left it the day before with no sign of being disturbed.  He let out a heavy sigh.  Jack had clearly not yet come back.  Saddened, but not entirely surprised, BT collected a datapad, typing out a quick message to Jack.

                _Please come back.  I need to talk to you._

                He stared at the message for a long time, hesitating, before finally sending it, the simple though heartfelt words weighing heavy in his suddenly too-full chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blarf! Sorry this one's kinda late...
> 
> This was really...really hard to write.   
> That's it. I can't think of anything else to say. >.<


	10. Chapter 10

\--10— 

     Barker stood in the doorway, disheveled, gray-faced and tremendously irritated at being disturbed this goddamn early in the morning… until the crumpled expression on Cooper’s face registered.  The kid looked like he had the weight of the world crushing him, the skin around his eyes red and puffy and sagging.  Taube had seen what a man looked like after crying his soul out into a puddle far more times than he cared for, and Cooper fit the bill to the letter.  The hangover he was suffering suddenly took back seat as concern kicked into overdrive.

     “Hey, you okay, kid?” He asked when Jack didn't immediately say anything.  The Pilot closed his eyes tiredly.

     “No.”

     Barker was taken aback by the honesty.  Cooper, he realized, had been hurt bad sometime in the night.

     “Who’s head I gotta put a bounty on, Kid?” He asked. He didn't typically feel protective of Cooper- probably because he didn't need to- but whomever could make anyone that miserable deserved to die.

     “Me.” Jack said softly. “I… fucked up.”  Barker frowned, ducking his head down to try and meet Cooper’s eyes but the Pilot kept his head down.  Cooper let out along, shaky breath before continuing. “Look, don't worry about that,” Jack said heavily.  “I need your help.”

 

     Barker stared at the Crow Dropship beadily, honestly unable to comprehend what was being asked of him.  “I am both too hung over and too goddamn sober for this bullshit, Cooper.”

     “I'm not asking for you come with me. Just drop me and go.” Jack shouldered a clearly heavy backpack and marched past Barker up the ramp. “Or, what the hell. Just tell me how to get this thing started and I'll figure out the rest and you can stay,” Cooper added as an afterthought.  “How hard can it be?”  

     Barker snarled, frustrated.

     “You're gonna get yourself blown up and both of us court-martialed,” he spat. “In that order!”  Jack stood just inside the drop ship, waiting.

     “Then stay,” Jack said.

     Barker scowled up at the younger man, weighing the situation. At length he tipped his chin up, vaguely gesturing to the bag now resting at his feet.

     “What's that?” He asked.

     “Sixty five pounds of artillery and compact explosives,” Jack said brightly.  Barker’s eyebrows went up.  The kid was definitely playing hardball.

     “Cool.” He marched up the ramp, intentionally shoving past Cooper as he headed for the cockpit. “Let's get going before everyone wakes up.”

 

 

 

     When Jack still had not returned to the apartment, even after BT had cleaned himself up for the day, the former AI decided to actively search for his friend.  He could feel Jack’s presence through the Link, distant and muffled like music several rooms over, but he was there.  An awful mix of sadness and determination flickered in and out, making BT’s nerves fray. 

     The base was tomb-quiet, the morning too fresh against the late night frivolities that nearly everyone had been involved in. BT tried to be systematic as he combed the base, checking the rec room, then the gym, the mess hall… following Jack’s morning routine, but an inexplicable and strengthening sense of urgency rattled his focus.  When a spark of something like relief crossed the link, BT turned to hurry back to the apartment in response hoping Jack had returned home. 

     Only minutes later, what little strength the Link still maintained vanished all at once.  BT skidded to a stop in the middle of the barracks hallway, swaying in shock.  Jack was not gone, but his presence had diminished to nothing more than the equivalent of an indicator light and BT realized he had never been far enough separated from Jack to have experienced this before. 

                There could be no other explanation than that Jack had left the planet.

 

 

     Barker lounged in the pilot seat with his legs outstretched over the copilot chair and hands behind his head, scrutinizing Jack as the Pilot gathered up his gear.  Jack tried to ignore the searching look, knowing full well that Taube expected an explanation.  Jack had not said a word about why he had shown up at the man’s door before dawn, teary-eyed and desperate.  He didn’t have time to dwell on it, and if he revisited those emotions now, he would compromise his focus. 

     He stared down at his helmet, hesitating.  He had brought his jumpkit and armor for the added protection but now it drove home an alarming concept he hadn’t yet thought of: would he link to a new Titan?  He puffed out a hot breath of withheld air, shaking himself. No time to think on this now.   He stuffed it over his head and savagely snuffed the train of thought before it got too far.  He had an unspoken promise to upkeep.

     “Sooo,” Barker spoke up as Jack loaded the last of his weapons, shouldering the now somewhat lighter backpack. “What? You jus’ gonna storm the place and blow the shit out of it?”

     “Pretty much,” Jack said with a shrug. 

     “Alone?”  Barker laughed disdainfully. “That’s the shittiest plan I have _ever_ heard, Kid.”

     “And yet, here you are, the getaway driver,” Jack spat.   “Give me five hours.” He trudged down the ramp and into the darkness of the night beyond their landing. 

     “Ya get _four_!” Taube barked.  “So hurry your ass up!”

 

     Jack crouched behind a tree, scanning the area surrounding the bunker and junkyard.   Only five short weeks ago, he and BT had fled this place and the horrors within, and here he was, _back_.  His hands shook slightly. He _really_ didn’t want to be here, but there was something he needed to do.

     It was as quiet as it had been the first time, but Jack was glad for the cover of darkness nonetheless.  Talented though he was, he couldn’t take on an entire IMC base –even one with only a skeleton crew- on his own.  One wrong step would certainly be the end of him.

     He went to the scrapyard first.

     BT’s old chassis was still there, although it looked like the IMC had only just started investigating it.  Some panels here and there were removed, but fortunately they hadn’t gotten very far yet.  He cloaked, hopped the fence, and decapitated yet another Stalker sentry without a sound.   He placed his first explosive charge on the titan chassis, tried extra hard not to think about all that it represented, and moved on.

     After picking the lock with his dataknife, Jack walked in through the front door. 

 

There was definitely a greater IMC presence at the facility now, but overall the defenses were still scant.  Jack slipped from room to room in the night, leaving a trail of bodies and explosive charges as he went.  The IMC was going to have one hell of a mess to clean up, in the morning. 

                Jack didn’t intend to end up back in the lab where he’d found BT, but he recognized the room immediately when he entered it. The room was lit, albeit dimly, and he got a better look at it this time.  Gurneys littered the room, all empty save for one and Jack averted his gaze because that was _definitely_ a dead body lying there. Against the far wall, a trio of stasis pods glowed from the inside, giving Jack a glimpse of the figures within.  Two men and a woman all bore alarmingly familiar scars and Jack dragged his eyes away from them guiltily. He was not equipped to save them.  He turned to one of the data consoles, touching the keypad curiously.  It lit for him immediately, and Jack’s jaw dropped.

                It was all there: what they had done to these poor Titans.  Most of the details were beyond Jack’s comprehension, but an illustration made it plain enough:  A wire-fine lattice incorporated the processor to the brain on a cellular level effectively becoming the first foray into a techno-organic mind. 

                Jack skimmed the experiment reports, his body quivering with rage.  BT was still the first and only success, with well over a dozen men, women, and titans perishing from failed attempts at incorporation.   While two Legions and a Tone had survived, they had proven unstable.  The conclusion stated a suspicion that the notoriously adaptable Vanguard AI was the key to the one success. Reading further showed a proposal for not only a bounty on BT’s return, but a requisition request for more intact Vanguard Datacores.

                Jack’s heart raced as he broke into the hard case of the computer console and sliced into the hard-drive with his dataknife. He had not intended this trip to become recon, but there was no way he was leaving this behind.  The file transfer complete, he withdrew the knife and planted another explosive device under the console.  He checked his supply of charges. Four left.  His work was nearly done.

                “Hands up!”

                Jack momentarily closed his eyes in a silent groan. He had been caught distracted by what he had found, and a half-dozen IMC soldiers now had him cornered in the lab.  He slowly raised his hands in surrender, even as he searched frantically for an escape.   They were all grunts equipped with cut-rate weapons and minimal training, and while Jack felt confident he could overcome them with enough effort, he was now certain he would not be exiting the facility as quietly as he entered it.  With his face safely hidden by his helmet, he allowed himself a self-deprecating snarl.

                “Well _shit_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Posting early to make up for the REAALLLLY late post last night. 
> 
> Remember that 'Fiery Retribution' Thing? Yeah.  
> And what better way to avoid a communication meltdown than run off to fight an entire compound by yourself?!  
> Jack's decision making skills leave something to be desired...


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Run, Jackie, Run! D8

\--11—

                “What do you mean, he’s ‘gone’?”

BT stood in the Commander’s office, fighting hard not to worry his own lip between his teeth – a bad habit of anxiety he had unfortunately picked up recently.  While he was confident she knew he wouldn’t summon her this early for nothing, he couldn’t help but pang of guilt for doing so.  Her attire was just slightly disheveled, her eyes puffy from sleep.  He had definitely woken her.

                “The Neural Link… I can barely... He’s there, but _very_ far away.  I cannot hail him by comms,” he added.   She gave him a stern look, and BT scrubbed at his face with his hands.  “We… had a misunderstanding. It was late, there was alcohol…” he trailed off with a frustrated groan. It sounded even worse aloud.  To his relief, Briggs kept her face carefully neutral as she listened. “He left, and hasn’t come back.  I don’t know what he intends, but given his state of mind when I saw him last, I’m tremendously concerned.”

                Briggs sighed, bracing her elbows atop her desk and sagging tiredly as she listened. She swore softly. 

                “Barker mentioned you and Cooper both received a pretty rough razzing at the bar…”

                BT shook his head, and decided he didn’t want to inquire as to how she could have already been swapping rumors with Taube.

                “I wish it were as simple as fallout from drunken jokesters,” he said sadly. 

                “I see.” She paused, bringing up the commlink on her datapad.  The call went to voicemail, and she huffed, irritated. “Robbie? Wake up and answer the goddamn call, this is important,” she demanded before confirming the message and disconnecting.  “Let me call Ops and see if they’ve heard anything,” she went on.  Before she could, however, her initial call was returned.

                “Sarah?”  The voice was scratchy with static, the signal poor, but BT could see Barker’s icon in the corner of the pad.  “Babe, you’re gonna be so fucking pissed at me…”

 

                BT trotted after Commander Briggs as she stormed down the hallway, rapidly barking orders into her communicator.

                “I need MOB loaded into a Widow and ready to go by the time I reach the hangar.” Her voice was level, but sharp.  “Get Freeborn and Simmons up, I want them boots down in ten minutes.” She paused. “I don’t _care_ , I’m hung-over too. Wake them up, we’re going.”  She made another call.  “Tell Ops to be ready for a potential full-on assault, but make sure they’re on standby only until I give the order.  We don’t know what we’re walking into here.”  Barely pausing for breath, she called back Taube. “We’re on our way.  Keep cover.” As they entered the hangar, she stopped abruptly enough that BT nearly collided with her.  She turned to look at him, her expression a lot softer than he expected it to be.  “You are by no means obligated to come,” She said.  “I’ve granted you civilian status, if you want it.”

                BT didn’t hesitate.

                “No, I’m coming.  I have a thing or two to say to Jack.”

 

 

                The first two IMC grunts had gone down easy, and the third had gotten only a feeble kick in before Jack had quickly dispatched him, but the three remaining had the time they needed to counterattack. Gunfire ignited in a deafening roar and Jack gasped as he dove for cover, barely dodging a shot, the lead slug carving a long line across his armor’s chestplate.  Crouched low behind a set of cabinets, the Pilot only had moments to collect himself.  He could hear the three soldiers converging on him from ahead and both sides, and in only a few more short steps, he would be back in range. 

                Quarters were too close for a grenade, and they were too widely spread to take out effectively anyway.  Not mention the detonation charge he had just stashed nearby.  Deciding to flee rather than fight, Jack activated his cloak once again a split second before the first soldier came into sight.  The man’s face crinkled up with confusion, when he rounded the edge of the cabinet only to find - no Jack.

                “What the?!”

                Jack did always enjoy the confused expressions these idiots wore when he did that. He vaulted over the cabinet, invisible, wove between the front and left soldiers, and darted out the thankfully open door. 

                The first squad of reinforcements that arrived to investigate the gunshots ran right past Jack, still invisible and pressed tight against the wall.   The second, however, he turned a corner straight into just as the cloak finally faded.  Jack spared a single oath as he leapt up to run along the wall close to the ceiling, close-fire scoring all around him as he zagged his way clear of the group. 

                Ten minutes and two floors higher found Jack being pursued by half a platoon.  He had run out of grenades on the floor below, and now focused his energy on fleeing rather than returning fire. 

                He had, however, placed his last detonation charge, and an exit was in clear sight.  He checked the time as he ran, and grimaced.  He was late.  Barker, if he was still waiting for him, would have a fit.

                He gave out a short cry, pain searing through his shoulder from where a laser shot struck the back of his right arm.  Pain throbbed through his whole arm into his chest, and he felt his fingertips tingle and then lose feeling. He grit his teeth, fighting off the nauseous feeling of shock.  It wasn’t fatal, or even critical. If he went down now, however, he was dead.  

                He burst through the doors into the twilight of pre-dawn, and right into a central courtyard.   Jack swore, and dove for cover behind a crate as at least forty soldiers turned towards him.  He groaned, gaining his bearings.  An internal litany of ‘ _Stupid! Stupid, stupid!’_  Chanted in his head. He was on the wrong side of the building, and a very long way from safety.

                If he survived this, BT would _never_ let him live it down.

                Despite the storm of gunfire peppering the world all around him, Jack had a moment of almost overwhelming remorse. 

                If BT would even speak to him.

 

 

                The shuttle hadn’t even set down all the way when BT leapt out of the open bay door, breaking into a sprint.  He could hear guns in the distance, and remembering the area well enough to know where to head, he followed the noise.  He unshouldered a sniper rifle and led the way as a handful of soldiers poured out behind him, a trio of Titans stepping out in tow.

                The cacophony of gunfire, as they drew closer, was deafening.  It was clear that Jack’s self-assigned sneak in and out mission had gone awry.  As the first IMC soldiers came into view, BT took shelter behind one of the last trees before the clearing around the complex, and hunkered down.   Around him, his fellow Militia fanned out and pressed forward.  BT laid out with his rifle, surgically felling one grunt after another, all the while scanning the battlefield for his friend.  Jack was out there, somewhere nearby. 

                A grenade blast caught his attention, and he spotted Cooper just in time to watch the Pilot be thrown into the air, crashing back to the earth in a tumbling heap.  Pain, fear, and regret reached him through the link, and BT leveled a shot over the Pilot’s shoulder as his friend staggered back to his feet.  Despite the distance, he saw the IMC solder notice him, their eyes meeting briefly just as BT pulled the trigger. The soldier flinched aside, BT’s shot going wide, and raised his weapon towards Jack.

                “Jack!” BT’s cry was lost over the din of battle, louder than ever now that the Titans had waded in.  He could see the spray of blood as the shot landed, and Jack collapsed.   BT shouldered his rifle and ran for his friend, ignoring the gunfire still blazing all around him.  A dozen steps shy of reaching Jack, an enormous explosion sent the entire bunker and subterranean building ablaze, causing the ground to cave in and swallow several of the IMC soldiers who were too close.  BT threw himself to the ground, taking cover as shrapnel and bits of rubble blew by overhead.  A chunk of rock landed dangerously close to Jack’s head, and BT scrambled on all fours the rest of the way to his friend’s side.

 

 

                He had, Jack mused, _definitely_ screwed himself good with this stunt.  The Pilot berated himself as he made a blind dash for the relative cover of the woods surrounding the research facility.  He struggled with his backpack one-handed as he ran, stumbling as he searched for the detonator that _should_ have been the only thing in there but still somehow evaded him.  An almost-too-close blast behind him sent him tumbling forward. Jack cried out in pain, his injured arm taking the brunt of the impact as he fell.  He skidded to a stop on his back, winded, but he had finally found the detonator.  He staggered back to his feet, only to take a shot – ballistic this time- through the hip.   Lead shattered the entire joint on impact and Jack fell with a scream.  His head swam, the world closing into darkness. His hand shook as he raised the detonator.  His vision faded out, but a split heartbeat before he lost consciousness, he was gratified with the tremendous, earth-rattling boom as the entire facility was effectively demolished in one unified blast.   _Well,_ he thought bitterly. _If I die, at least I took them with me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quiet nod to Derp and Kieran who got me to headcannon Briggs and Barker as a couple. :)
> 
>  
> 
> What with mothers' day plans with the fam tomorrow, IDK if Imma be able to update tomorrow or not. Just gonna keep posting updates in the meantime  
> Also. I can't decide if these pina colada tictacs are nasty, or amazing.


	12. Chapter 12

\--Ch 12 –-

            Jack jerked, consciousness returning to him slowly. Well. He wasn’t dead. The sounds of battle grew louder and louder as the ringing in his ears faded.  Jack opened his eyes, but his vision swam, and all he could see were shadows against a brightening sky.  There were voices, familiar ones, shouting orders.   There were hands on him, warm and gentle, and the sudden burn of a stimpack being crushed into his injured arm.  Jack’s ears began to ring again, and the world slipped away.

The familiar sound of chainguns rousted Jack only minutes later.  Vanguard Titans.  Thanks to the stim, the worst of his pain had faded into something awful, but now manageable.  He rolled onto his back, fumbling for his dataknife.   The IMC wanted those Titans…they needed to get out.  He scrabbled at the holster on his chest without success. His whole right arm was completely numb.

                “Stay down,” BT’s voice growled the words and Jack’s eyes went wide, the Pilot desperately trying to focus.  He thumbed back the visor on his helmet with his good hand.

                “BT?” His voice cracked.   He craned his neck to try and see the face of the figure above him.  BT was literally standing over him, Jack’s torso between the former AI’s ankles.  His teeth were bared in a snarl as he fired off several shots with the long rifle in his hands.  Despite the monumental pain of his injuries, Jack’s heart skipped a beat or two.   From his position, BT seemed like the twenty-foot Titan he had always been, his stance wide and his spine straight, one shoulder set back with his weight as he unflinchingly took the recoil of each shot.

                BT paused to glance down at Jack, aqua eyes sharp and flashing with ire.

                “I’m quite cross with you, right now.” He said. Jack nodded glumly. He figured as much.  BT took one more shot, then twisted to call out behind him. “Area secure!  Medic!” He stepped aside, and none other than Janelle filled the space above Jack.  She looked haggard and gray-skinned, but smiled anyway.

                “Hey, Coop!” She said cheerfully, quickly assessing his injuries.  He grunted in pain as she pressed gauze into the broad wound in his side. “Wow… you’re all kinds of messed up.” Jack closed his eyes against her smiling face, the memory from the night before of her poised atop BT, her face pressed firmly against his, clouding his vision.

                “I noticed,” he said wryly. She laughed cheerfully, and he felt her administer another injection, this time a sedative.

                “Remaining IMC forces are retreating,” BT’s voice carried be best news he had heard all day.  As the sedative kicked in, the searing pain that tore through him as BT lifted Jack into a fireman’s carry was muted, and distant. Jack felt the vibrations of BT’s rich voice more than he heard it as he slipped back into unconsciousness.  “Let’s get out of here.”

               

 

 

                Jack found himself laid out on the shuttle floor, the soft hum of the jump drive making everything vibrate minutely. His arm felt almost fine- the stimpack doing its magic flawlessly, but his hip, thigh, and ribs burned.   His dataknife was gone, and a hand was draped protectively across his chest.  It took him an extra moment to realize it was BT’s, and that his head was pillowed on his friend’s outstretched thigh.  The former Titan was watching Jack closely, but said nothing when they made eye contact.

                “I’m sorry, BT…” Jack moaned.  “For what I did… Please forgive me.” BT snorted softly, shaking his head.

                “I’m not mad about that, you blessed imbecile,” BT said tiredly.  “I’m mad that you’ve gone and done this!” He jabbed roughly at Jack’s shoulder, which Jack unhappily realized was still sore after all, with a fingertip.  “That you would run off on some fool vendetta… and leave me behind!”  BT’s voice rose only marginally from his usual low tone, but the words came out heavier and heavier.

 

                “Bee, can you please wait to berate my patient until we’re sure he’s not going to kick off before we get home?” Janelle said cheerily, patting Jack’s leg reassuringly.  He wasn't actually in peril, but it was her best argument for sticking up for him.  Jack lifted his head up enough to stare over at her.  Why did she keep showing up everywhere he went?  He wondered bleakly if it was all an uncanny accident, or if she was following them.  Following BT.  He shook the idea away. He was being paranoid.

 

                “No,” BT said gruffly, holding Jack’s gaze fiercely, “because if he dies, he needs to go knowing how _pissed_ I am.”  Jack cringed, impressed by the uncharacteristically crass vernacular, but chagrined that it was aimed his way.  Seeing Jack’s expression, BT drew in a long, calming breath and his face finally became gentle.  He ran a hand over Jack’s good shoulder, the heat from his palm soaking through the armor and soothing Jack. “Now that we’ve established that…” BT murmured.  He bowed his spine, bending down low to press his forehead against Jack’s.  He rested like that, cradling Jack gently for a long moment.  “Please don’t do that again, Jack,” He whispered.  “We’re a team.”  Jack clamped his eyes shut, fighting back tears.

                “BT, I’m so sorry…”   

                BT sighed again, and tipped his chin forward to lightly kiss Jack’s temple. The touch, chaste though it was, was enough to make the tears Jack had been fighting gush forth unrestrained.

                “You are forgiven.  But once you’re mended, we need to sit down and have a proper discussion.”  Jack nodded mutely. Yeah. They did.

 

                “Whoa,” Janelle broke the silence as it stretched.  “You could have just told me you were gay, Bee.”  Jack jumped. He’d been so focused on BT he had already forgotten about her.  He tipped his head back to watch BT’s expression, but it remained passive.

                “That ain’t your business. Besides, he ain’t gay, he’s a goddamn Titan,” Barker corrected from somewhere near the cockpit.   Jack sat up abruptly, or tried to, falling back to his elbows when fresh pain flared up in his hip.  BT’s hand curled over his chest, firmly leveraging him back into a prone position without a word.  Jack grimaced. He’d had no idea Taube was there.  Now he could see Briggs was seated beside him, Jack’s dataknife cradled in her hands. He wondered who was piloting the shuttle, but couldn’t see.  “He’s only got eyes for Cooper, but it ain’t gonna matter what he looks like,” Barker continued to explain.   “The day they met they were bonded in a way that goes well beyond anything as shallow as simple sexuality.”  To Jack’s mild surprise, BT was nodding to himself in agreement. “I ain’t gonna guess on what else might or might not be goin’ on,” Barker finished, “but whatever it is, that’s what it’s built on.” Janelle looked stunned, and just a little bit unconvinced.

                “It’s actually pretty normal for a Titan to lack interest in anyone but its pilot,” Briggs added.  “MOB won’t give Robbie the time of day for anything unless I ask her.”

                “That’s because he’s a douche!”  Whomever was flying the shuttle jeered from the cockpit.   BT chuckled softly, the sound barely audible so that nobody else seemed to notice, but the sound vibrated through Jack sweetly.

                “Shaddup!” Barker snarled around a laugh.  “Anyway, I heard it, he told you himself last night, he may look human but he ain’t.”

                A stunned silence filled the shuttle for a few moments.

                “Thank you, Taube,” BT said, at last.   “And well put,” he added, sounding relieved that someone else explained it for him. “It’s nothing personal,” he said to Janelle.  Jack watched a resigned smile cross her face.

                “Damn. Guess I don’t stand a chance, huh?”

                “Your interest is flattering,” BT said, “but I am unable to reciprocate.”

 

 

                Jack’s heart sank.  While he was relieved that Janelle seemed to finally get the message, what tiny hope Jack had for his own chances with BT fizzled and died.  What Barker said made perfect sense, but Jack had fallen for the same misconception that Janelle had: BT was not human, and though he was undeniably loyal to Jack, that loyalty did not equate to love.  Friendship alone would only go so far. 

                Yes BT would forgive Jack, and he even was able to express affection, but Jack questioned how much of it was honest and how much of it was BT’s pre-programed nature to keep Jack happy.   He had seen the data from the experiments.   BT was still a robotic mind, grafted to a human body. 

 

                New guilt swelled up inside of Jack.  He had effectively forced himself upon his friend, risking what precious bond they had, which was bad enough. Now he realized that, following his train of logic, BT might have ultimately gone along with Jack’s advances, purely because that’s what Jack wanted.   Even now, he could feel the hurt BT felt from the assault, and subsequent abandonment, but overriding it all was a sense of determined acquiescence.

                Barker was right.  BT only had eyes for Jack, no matter what.  Horror and shame filled him, and as he laid against his friend’s warm, living body, he realized that there was no hope for what he yearned for.   Jack tipped his head back to look up at BT.  The Titan had his head turned, gaze directed to some distant corner of space, his expression pensive. Jack took the guilty moment to observe BT unnoticed. Muscle was returning to his slender figure, but the firm, sleek lines of his jaw and high cheekbones remained.  His aristocratic contours carried through his whole body granting him long arms and legs, slender fingers and a well-defined chest.  His hair had grown in a rich auburn and he kept it short and tidy.  Jack blinked, realizing that BT also seemed to be wearing Jack’s long-forgotten cologne.   It suited him.

                All at once, BT’s head swiveled back to aim his piercing gaze on Jack and the pilot scrambled to close down the Link.   BT frowned, noticing the change.

                “Are you alright?” BT asked softly.  Jack sighed, looking away.

                “Not really, BT.  But I’ll be fine.”  He closed his eyes, not wanting to look at the concerned face above him. “Thanks, by the way…for coming back for me.”

                “You are welcome, Pilot.”  BT said. 

                Jack’s heart twisted at the all-too familiar words of a Titan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh I had 90% of this written last night and the other 10 was being SUCH a pain in the ass... as a result...this chapter's kinda short(*er. I realize they're all short) Sorry guys.
> 
> In other news... I've decided: those pina colada tictacs are absolutely nasty. (but I keep eating them anyway help)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, you guys have been THE BEST readers EVER. Thank you everyone for all of your generous, thoughtful comments, feedback, excitement, dismay...and even artwork. I've never, ever been so utterly gratified by anything I've posted before and it's amazing. <3 <3 <3

\--13--

              Jack hobbled out of his physical therapy session to find BT waiting in the med suite doorway, one shoulder propped against the doorframe, his ankles and arms both crossed casually. Jack didn’t hide his appraising stare.  BT was long-legged to begin with, and accentuated by the neatly pressed seams of his slacks, those legs seemed to go on for days.

 

              Jack had been very lucky, he was told.   The combined fortune of sheer dumb luck with how the damage had occurred, and a phenomenally talented prosthetics surgeon left Jack as good as, if not better than, new after only a week in the hospital.  He’d need crutches for a couple more weeks, and therapy for a few more after that, but, luckily, was assured he would be fine. 

              The wound to his arm had healed flawlessly, save for his right ring finger, which weirdly enough had remained adamantly numb.  He didn’t mind, all things considered. 

              The fiasco he had caused could have ended much worse.  This, of course, he had been reminded of daily.  As such, he had gotten off with little more than a stern reprimand from Briggs. The Commander claimed he had punished himself more than enough, and that she was certain BT would do the rest, and commended him on the recon and successfully scuttling a dangerous facility in the same sentence.  Barker was let off similarly, though he claimed a behind-the-scenes beating.  Jack was certain this had actually happened, in a way, but was just as sure that despite how he described it, Barker had thoroughly enjoyed himself.

              Jack didn’t press for further details.

 

              “Are you ready?”  BT asked him, straightening up from his lax stance.  Jack couldn’t hold in his grin.

              “Absolutely.”  He was sick and tired of lying in bed in paper pajamas all day.   He was tired of meals cold because they were delivered late from the cafeteria.  He missed BT, even though his friend had visited him daily.  Home beckoned.  Jack paused at a locker, gathering up a small satchel of belongings that had ended up with him over the last week.  He dropped a crutch as he tried to sling the bag over his shoulder, and swore.  BT darted over to Jack’s side immediately, scooping up the crutch from the floor and handing it to him, even as he snatched the bag from Jack’s grip.

              “I’ll take this,” He said sternly. Jack withheld his argument, but only barely.   He did not want to incite another heated lecture about his safety from BT.

 

 

              The walk back to the apartment proved more difficult than Jack had expected.  Pain seeped into new places: under his arms from the crutches, his good leg sore from doing the work of two legs; a secondary incision point higher in his side to extract wayward bits of bullet and bone.  Nothing a basic pain reliever wouldn’t fix, but it made him all the more glad to be home.

 

              BT followed Jack to the couch, poising himself neatly at one end even as Jack sagged into the other. The Pilot let out a long sigh, tipping his head back tiredly.  It didn’t take long, however, for him to feel BT’s eyes on him. He looked back up to see the Titan staring back intently, as if he were waiting…

              “Oh.”

              He had promised BT they would talk…about things Jack preferred to keep to himself.  He had artfully postponed the conversation repeatedly, most recently requesting they wait for privacy.  

              Having an organic mind had not dulled BT’s keen memory one bit. 

              Already Jack’s mind started to swim, a myriad of painful realizations he’d had over the last week now each cuing up impatiently for attention.  Something very much like panic crawled into his chest.  Jack kicked at it, wrenching the Link closed before BT could detect his fear.

              “Please don’t do that,” BT said, his voice whisper-soft.  Jack grimaced, but didn’t let go of the grip on his emotions. “I feel it acutely when you shut me out, and while I don’t believe you intend it to be hurtful, it is.” Jack groaned, hating himself for hurting BT even when he tried to protect him.  “Besides,” BT went on “until I gain more emotional experience, I need your help to understand what I observe.  What we share through the Neural Link is critical.”

              “I understand, but really,” Jack began, “I’ve realized a few things and-“He cut off with a yelp as BT unexpectedly reached out and hauled Jack bodily across the gap between them, pulling him close.  His friend’s broad chest was warm against his back, and there was something about the aftershave he used that reminded Jack of summer.   His body betrayed him, leaving Jack unable to resist sinking back further into the embrace.  “BT, what are you doing?”

              “It’s become evident that you seem to only express yourself honestly under duress,” BT observed, his tone crisp with satisfaction. “So I’ve decided to squeeze it out of you.”  BT’s arms around Jack tightened sweetly for emphasis.  The Pilot felt his throat close a little, and when BT’s chin dropped to rest atop his head, an upwelling of forgiveness flooding in, his already tenuous grip on the Link crumbled.

              “That’s cheating,” Jack grumbled, giving in. 

              “All’s fair…” BT reminded. Jack heaved a long sigh, struggling not to hide his misgivings from his friend.  He sucked in a long breath, counted to ten before letting it out as he steeled himself.

              “What I did to you… wasn’t right, I-“He trailed off almost as soon as he’d started. The words were there, but he couldn’t bring them out. 

              “I could have stopped you sooner if I wanted to,” BT said sternly.  Jack shook his head, looking away.

              “No, you shouldn’t _have_ to, that’s not your job!  It’s _my_ job to be a decent person and not go and try to…to…” He sank back. He couldn’t bear to say it.  

               “You underestimate my position in this, Jack.” BT said gently.  Jack could feel a steady flow of _calm_ from his friend’s end of the link.  The more upset Jack got, the further BT pulled him into that pool of tranquility. It helped, somewhat.

 

              “BT, I’m not going to force you to be something you’re not,” Jack said firmly, desperately clinging to that sense of serenity.  This was too important for him to risk another meltdown in the middle of it. “I care about you too much to do that to you.” He hid his face in his hands, scrubbing at his stinging eyes with his knuckles. “That’s….that’s why it hurts.” He sat up, pulling away from BT reluctantly.  “But it’s worth it, if it means I don’t damage our friendship in the meantime.”  BT was watching him thoughtfully, and while he let Jack pull away, one hand lingered on the Pilot’s shoulder.  Through the Link, BT was open, but his mood was indiscernible beyond a prevailing sense of compassion.  Something like empathy ghosted in and out, but BT lacked the experience to really possess it still.  Jack fell silent, his words having already run out, and BT made a pensive sound.

              “What Taube said has been bothering you,” BT said knowingly.  The flash of guilt Jack felt gave him away and BT gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.  “You’re worried that I am incapable of loving you in return…” He paused, head tilted as if listening to something.  Jack closed his eyes, let the ache and the longing and the helpless hopes ooze out, allowing BT to analyze it all.  “That imposing that responsibility of reciprocation on me would be unfair?” Jack nodded, swallowing.  “Amoral, even.”  Jack bowed his head, curling in on himself.  Yeah. That.

              “Yeah,” Jack’s voice had shrank to almost nothing, and he wanted so badly to hide from himself, and BT, but he held his ground. 

              “Barker made a good guess, but I don’t think he had it quite right,” BT said, voice gentle. Jack could feel his friend’s gaze on him, but wouldn’t look.  “I do only have eyes for you, as the saying goes, but it’s not fair to what we’ve been through together to chalk it up to nothing more than programming.”  At this, Jack looked up at last.  “I read the data you brought back.  I’m…not surprised by any of it. But,”   BT pulled Jack a little closer again, so that their shoulders touched.  “Whatever I’ve become, it’s not as simple as ‘Titan’ or ‘Human.’  This,” he nudged Jack gently with an elbow, “has been here for a very long time.  Protocol Three no longer has any bearing over me, Jack, but what’s revealed in its absence is far greater than any pre-ordained coding.”  BT dropped his voice ever softer.  “I don’t understand it but…” he trailed off for a moment, watching Jack’s face.   Jack held his breath, staring back.  He watched BT’s otherworldly eyes haze over with a new kind of bittersweet softness. “It is love, isn’t it?” BT whispered.  Jack nodded minutely.

              “Yeah.  I…I think so.” He had no idea what else it could possibly be.  BT smiled beatifically back at him and Jack felt his heart stutter.  BT leaned in close, eyes glittering like sea glass and Jack’s blood rushed in his ears.  When BT spoke again, his voice was low and smoky.

              “Show me.”  

 

              Without warning, the door to the apartment opened.  Jack jumped, coughing from the startle, even as BT lurched back from where he’d been almost nose-to nose with the Pilot.

              There in the doorway, looking ridiculous with the biggest, most ostentatious fruit arrangement Jack had ever seen in his hands, stood Barker.   The man’s eyes were wide, an embarrassed smile plastered across his face.

              “Uhh… H-hey kids,” He stammered slightly.  It was painfully clear he was all too aware of having just interrupted something between them.  “We heard you were released from Medical today, Coop,” He plowed on courageously, “sooo… some’a the guys thought they’d send ya…” He hefted the basket in his hands with a grimace. “Well.  Sarah picked it. Sorry.”   He took the few short steps across the room to where Jack and BT still sat in stunned silence, and all but dumped the lurid gift into Jack’s lap.   Jack grunted from the weight of it.

              “Thanks,” he wheezed, even as BT scrambled from his seat to help alleviate his friend, hauling it over to the table nearby.  

                “Yep!” Barker said in a rush, already making a break for the door. “Glad yer feelin’ better ‘n all that.” He palmed the door open again, calling out behind him as he backed out, “There’s a card in there somewhere, I think.” BT stared down into the sweet smelling display of exotic fruits, gingerly picking out an envelope wrapped in plastic.  He grimaced. It was sticky.  “Found it?” Barker asked, and the Titan nodded, dumbstruck. “Great!”  With that, the aviator was gone.

                Jack and BT stared at each other in aghast shock for several long moments in the wake of Barker’s departure, speechless.  At long last, Jack broke the awkward silence.

                “You didn’t lock the door?” He asked, horrified.

                “I thought you had it automated still,” BT said, brows knitted up in concern. “I’m sorry…”

                Jack snorted out a wry laugh.  His insides shook.  Whatever had almost happened, however, was long past now.  “Don’t worry about it,” he said, chuckling.  “I… I think the look on his face made it all worth it, anyway.”

                BT let slip a wry smirk, the sight of which gave Jack goosebumps.

                “I agree.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I DID just blue-ball all of you. <3  
> The good news is, it ain't over yet. Got a few more issues to address, methinks. <3  
> That scene with Barker was the most fun I've had writing in a LONG time. I love me some mischief.  
> ALSO: OMG you guys Autocorrect made "Taube" into 'Taupe' and I didn't catch it (it's still there, I haven't fixed it yet lol) and nobody said A WORD. Guys I make all kinds of goofy mistakes and I usually find them but it's not mean if you point them out, lol. Throw a Mako a bone here! X)  
> xox


	14. Chapter 14

\--14--

                 The weight room was almost entirely empty.  Jack plodded along on the treadmill at a sedate pace, barely jogging.  He had to take it easy with his newly reconstructed hip anyway, but today he was hardly bothering to try.  His eyes were fixed across the room, where BT sat on a rowing machine.  His friend’s back was to him, allowing Jack the perfect opportunity to admire the way the former Titan’s back and shoulders flexed with each stroke. 

                Whatever atrophy had occurred in the lab was long gone.  

Without realizing it, Jack began wishing BT would just take his damn shirt off, even though the thin cotton tee he wore left very little to the imagination. He could imagine what those muscles would feel like flexing under his hands, or even better…

                BT twitched, and turned around suddenly to stare back at Jack, who only then realized the kind of places his mind was spiraling.  He choked, his gait faltering. He stumbled, nearly falling as the treadmill continued on without him.  Sputtering, Jack mashed the emergency stop button, wheezing.  BT was still twisted in his seat, staring back at the Pilot with startled interest.  Jack withheld a groan. _Busted._ Embarrassed, he made a show of reprogramming his machine so he wouldn’t have to openly notice the curious stare pointed his way.  After a moment, BT snorted out a silent laugh and carried on with his reps without a word, shaking his head as he turned away. 

                Jack resolutely kept his eyes on the screen in front of him after that.   He wondered what his little mood had felt like to BT, though the link. How much of it had been identifiable? He wondered, too, just when he had decided his friend was _so_ damn attractive.  What few relationships he’d had in the past were all with women, but not one of them had captured his attention, made his heart stammer and glow, quite like this.   He wondered, belatedly, if he had been barking up the wrong tree.  He suspected more that it had more to do with BT specifically. Too late to worry now, he supposed.  

                Bored, Jack turned his eyes on the one other group occupying the gym: a pair of beefcakes doing free weights in the corner.  One fella was massive, well over six feet of tawny skin and rippling muscles.  His spotter was much more lithe, his physique more reminiscent of BT’s.  Jack watched the pair curiously for a few moments, but eventually his attention drifted back over to BT and _oh no_ there went the shirt. 

                Jack swallowed, his mouth as dry as chalk as he did war with himself as to whether he should look away or take what chance he had to enjoy the view.  The treadmill beeped at him, distracting him before he became dazed, and it slowed automatically to a walking pace. Time for cooldown.  Jack rubbed his eyes, huffing in frustration to himself.  _Get your shit together, Jack!_ He thought to himself.

                 There had not been a repeat of whatever voodoo had begun between he and BT there in his apartment the day he’d come home from Medical. BT had remained generally aloof as always, though he seemed somehow gentler when he was with Jack.  Though he dwelled on it often, Jack made no attempts to reinitialize another encounter.  If BT was interested in him, he was all game, but he was determined to lay no pressure upon his friend if he wasn’t.

                Despite his decision, BT’s voice, rich and thick with emotion, whispering _Show me_ echoed in Jack’s head nearly constantly.   He couldn’t fathom what BT could have meant, but even the mere memory made his knees weak.

 

                “Hey, look at you two fitness buffs,” Jack looked up to see Sarah Briggs sauntering in.   Shorts and a cropped off sports top boasted a build on the woman that put some of her best men to shame.  “Awfully early to be working so hard, isn’t it boys?”  Across the room, BT had leapt to his feet and was scrambling to stuff himself back into his sweat-soaked shirt.  Jack shot her a grin and a salute.

                “Good morning, Ma’am.” He said.  BT, apparently, was finally back to what he considered appropriately decent in the presence of his Commander, and sprung off a salute.  Briggs laughed.

                “At ease! God! It’s too early for that…!” She yawned for emphasis. “BT _please_ get that shirt off, it’s disgusting and you look better without it anyway.”   BT blinked in surprise, but complied.  Sarah waited until the former Titan’s face was obscured as he undressed to shoot Jack a smirk and a wink.  Jack turned crimson.  He turned away from her to collect his towel and scrub viciously over his face, head and shoulders in an attempt to hide his reaction.   The Commander probably still noticed, but she said nothing about it.

               

                “I’m actually really glad I found you both here,” She went on, stretching out near where Jack had been standing.  “I had an idea…”  Jack had a seat on the matted floor, absent-mindedly stretching, and BT quickly came to join him, interested.   “See, we’re really short on Pilots right now,” She grunted a little as she deepened a stretch.  “So I’d really like to see you back in the saddle, Coop,” she stopped to look up and grin over at BT. “And I can’t think of anyone more grossly overqualified to become a Pilot than you, BT.”

                The burst of pure delight and interest that beset Jack through the Link made the Pilot’s ears ring.  The former Titan was sincerely intrigued by the prospect, and Jack could feel him already going into the same analytical overdrive his friend went into every time a new object of interest crossed his radar.   BT would always excel at whatever endeavor he chose to pursue, purely by force of will and devotion to the subject, regardless of his latent abilities. 

                Jack, however, was horrified.  He reflexively clamped down on the Link, trying to block out the almost overwhelming dismay washing over him.  He only belatedly realized that in closing himself off, he’d given himself away just as clearly as if he hadn’t tried to hide at all.   BT looked over at him sharply, for the briefest of moments, confirming this.

                “You mean sever the link with BT?” Jack said, far too quickly.

                “Well yeah, if you’re going to ever link with another Titan you have to,” Briggs said and if she didn’t catch how close to hysterics Jack had quickly become, BT certainly did.  Her voice became suddenly distant sounding to him and he fought for composure.  Beside him, BT was watching him carefully, face neutral. Jack swam hard through the despair rising up around him.

                “It’s a tremendous offer,” BT said calmly.  Briggs straightened up, gathering up her gear and heading for a machine.  She smiled brightly, but Jack couldn’t quite return it.   

                “Think on it, but I hope you two accept.” She said. “You’re the best we’ve got.”

 

 

 

                Jack stood in the shower, his mind tumbling feverishly.  He didn’t want to cut the Link with BT, had even decided he was willing to retire as a Titan Pilot in order to preserve this one-of-a-kind connection they shared.  It was a fair trade.

                He had never anticipated BT wanting to be a Pilot, though for the life of him, Jack couldn’t now fathom why he had ever assumed that.  His potential was unprecedented, after all.   

                BT had kept a straight face, but Jack had felt the former Titan’s true reaction. It had rocked him to his core to experience that kind of elation from his friend. Never had Jack witnessed BT have a thrill like the one he did in the gym.  

                He pressed his face against the cold tile wall, fighting the urge to break down.  He could feel BT reaching to him through the link, tentative and kind. Desperate to reassure him.  Jack closed his eyes.  He’d made his decision.

                He would, in no way, deny BT of something that might possibly make him happy.  The link would be severed. Jack would endure.

                “Jack?” BT’s voice rang from outside the bathroom.  Jack sighed and shut off the water.

 

                BT was waiting for him on the couch, but stood when Jack finally emerged from the back of the apartment. The Former Titan had gotten the shower first, and Jack had been in long enough himself that his friend’s hair was already dry. BT was back in his favored slacks and a thin cotton tee.  He’d gotten into Jack’s cologne again as well.  Jack smiled fondly.  BT was always took care with his appearance, whether anyone else would see him or not.  Jack couldn’t say as much for himself, but he admired the trait nonetheless.  

                Without a word, BT quickly closed the space between them, seamlessly folding his arms around Jack and pulling him into a firm embrace. Jack quivered with the force of the emotion that the simple hug invoked, and let himself sag against BT, giving into the sadness and the comfort that was offered.  BT sank down to the floor with him, never letting go, and as Jack’s head fell to lay on his friend’s chest, he could hear the steady, soothing rhythm of BT’s heartbeat.

                Jack realized that, as his pulse slowed and gradually synchronized with BT’s, this person, whatever he was, was no longer Jack’s Titan.  This miraculous individual, the perfect hybrid of both man and machine, had a life to build.  Jack had no right to hold him back, and the realization helped solidify the decisions he had made, painful though they were.

                 Eventually BT stirred, pulling Jack up with him as he rose back to his feet.  When Jack kept his head down, avoiding his friend’s gaze, BT nudged him gently with his hip.

                “Hey,” Jack looked up and BT bowed his head, his lips coming a hair’s breadth shy of Jack’s.   Here he paused, just briefly, gauging Jack.  Jack swallowed hard, his body rigid as this split second in time froze.

                He waited for BT.

                He felt BT pour into him through the Neural Link even before they touched, the strength of his friend’s presence a vibrant contrast to the faintest brush of warmth over Jack’s lips as BT oh-so carefully tested the gesture of a kiss.   Jack felt like he could burst from the power of even that tiny caress, his body tingling all over from the effervescence of it.  BT pulled back, just a little, and Jack could see him watching him through his lashes. The surge of emotion emanating from the former Titan drew a gasp out of Jack, and BT chose that moment to close the gap again, firmly this time.  He swallowed the gasp, and the next that followed, and gradually massaged out a few fat tears and a lot of pain from Jack before he withdrew.  Utterly speechless, Jack could only watch as BT smiled softly, leant in to plant one last chaste kiss on his forehead, and then finally pulled away. “We’ll be okay, Jack.” BT whispered.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, by far, my most favoritest type of content to write <3
> 
> Also: I've decided Jack isn't gonna get laid until one of you updates the tag with new content, so get yer asses writing!


	15. Chapter 15

\--15—

                BT stood stock still, gazing all around the simulation, emotions he didn’t know he had rattling his focus and charging his nerves.

                He had not realized that Captain Lastimosa’s training programs had become a regular staple of the Militia’s Pilot Training program.  Lastimosa had been in the final stages of writing the simulations during the last few months of their service together, actively testing them on a Rifleman he suspected was Pilot material. Jack.

                He could have never imagined a day where he would stand, swaying in shock, with a jump kit on his hips and the ghost of his long lost friend brightly talking to him through the speaker of a helmet.

                He could have never guessed he would someday be a Titan with a human body, training to…pilot titans.  BT struggled to understand the existential paradox he had gotten himself into, but had wisely chosen to simply accept it without questioning too much, lest he blow a gasket on his processor.

 

                Lastimosa gave his lessons with the same bright, gentle kindness that he had piloted BT, and the former Titan found himself missing his old friend.  He wondered if Lastimosa could have ever guessed how powerful of a bond he had initiated between he and Jack. Something told BT that the old-timer had.  

                There had been no time for it, and BT had not had a heart with which to mourn the fallen pilot when he died, but now he reserved just a tiny bit of himself for it.  He was well over a year late, but he imagined that if Tai were watching over him, as many in the Militia believed of their lost friends and family, that he would be perfectly satisfied with ‘late’ over ‘never.’  The bittersweet ache he felt in remembrance was oddly satisfying.  To mourn and celebrate the dead in the same heartbeat was an odd experience.  Perhaps, BT mused, he was more human now than he had suspected.  Perhaps it was time to embrace that nature just a little more.

 

                Jack was waiting for him when BT emerged from the sim pod, tired and sweaty, but smiling. 

                “Had that much fun, eh?” Jack asked, smirking as he stuffed a protein bar into BT’s hands.

                “Did you know? They’ve kept the training programs Tai wrote for you,” BT said.  Jack’s eyes grew wide with surprise, and he actually leaned around BT to peer into the dark sim pod as if he would see his old mentor hiding inside.  BT chuckled. 

                “No way!” Jack had not been aware, but grinned brightly, his expression very clearly reflecting how BT himself felt.  “Wow, I’ll have to check that out sometime…”   He turned, hoisting an –actual, not simulated this time- helmet from a nearby table and tossed it lightly to BT.   “You did good in the gauntlet simulation.  Ready for the real thing?”   BT stared down at the helmet in his hands, still a little awestruck by what was happening.  Jack waited, watching him raptly.  Excitement and just a thread of doubt swirled through BT, and it took a moment to really grasp that this was reality.  When he finally looked up to his friend, he let his excitement show, if only a little.

                “Bring it.”

 

 

               

                BT wheezed, doubled over with his hands on his knees as he gathered his breath.  Behind him, Jack, and a dozen other Militia men and women had gathered.  He had just run a just under twenty-seven second gauntlet, and now he simply _could not_ settle for second place on the leaderboard.  His cohorts seemed to agree: the cacophony of cat-calls, encouragement, and trash-talk prodding him on.

                This would be easier, he imagined, if he had not been at it for over an hour already. He was exhausted, but his usually inert ego had woken up.  He straightened up, huffing out a determined snort as he strode up to the start line, unshouldering his weapon.  A fresh cheer of encouragement arose, and Jack proudly thumped BT across the back as he passed the Pilot.  Though he felt as if he might fall over at any moment, he kept his head high.  He could do this.

                He _enjoyed_ running, and had become quite good at it.  Long legs and a slender build made him suitable for speed, and after having months with largely nothing better to do with his considerable free time but hone this second-hand body of his, he’d learned how to exploit these traits.

                The added benefit of the jumpkit made it all too easy to overlook the limitations of an organic body.  His first leap over the gap was his farthest yet, and when his boots hit the wall, he was ready for the second.  A well placed grenade cleared the first targets, a leap, a slide, two clean shots and two more fell.  Rinse, repeat. Another grenade and a long wallrun. Ten seconds ticked away. Twenty. Ahead, the finish line and two more targets between. He leapt clean through the first, clearing it with a flying kick, and shot the last from above. 

                Gravity, and one last boost from the jumpkit, brought him crashing through the finish line gateway as BT threw away grace in exchange for speed. He tumbled, tucking into a tight ball and rolling several feet before he slid to a stop against Jack’s legs.

                For a moment, the only sound was BT’s ragged breathing as the group waited in anticipation for the results to process.  BT couldn’t actually see the scoreboard from where he lay on the blessedly cool stone floor, but judging from the deafening uproar of cheering, he rightfully guessed he had done it.  Above him, Jack was jumping up and down with his exuberance, and only stopped so that he could haul BT to his feet.  

                First Place now read BT-7274 00:25:03. 

                He had beat Sager by a mere two hundredths of a second, but he had done it.  Jack had an arm around his shoulders and someone congratulated him with a thump to one arm.  From behind, someone hoisted his helmet up off his head and a bottle of cold water was dumped over him.  He yelped, cringing, before turning to yank the bottle away from Barker. He waded up the plastic bottle in his hands and chucked it back at the aviator.   Jack handed him another water, which he took one long sip from before emptying the rest over himself as well, grinning in relief. 

                After a few more minutes of jovial celebration, the group finally began to un-cluster from around him, at length leaving only he and Jack behind as the others dispersed, one by one.  BT had dropped back to the floor, taking a seat as his pulse and internal temperature finally began to drop back to normal levels.  Propped against one elegantly curved wall, Jack stood smiling brightly down at him.  

It was nice to see Jack smile, BT thought.  There had been many moments in recent days that the Pilot had remained tense, withholding his unhappiness.  BT knew that Jack thought, consciously or otherwise, that he would lose him once they severed the Neural Link, but BT knew he would always remain steadfast to Jack.  He had tried to reassure his friend, but in the end, he would just have to prove it to him.

                After a while, the cold, hard stone upon which he sat began to sink in, and BT was compelled at last to get up. He lurched forward with a grunt, before falling back to where he had been. His legs looked normal but they felt gelatinous, quivering from over taxation. He laughed a little, dismayed.

                “Jack… help me up…!” He plead, stretching his arms out to his friend.  Luckily, Jack was kind enough to comply. 

 

                BT could barely walk by the time they got back to the barracks building, the former Titan shuffling pathetically as he resolutely carried on.  The adrenaline had worn off, the endorphins faded away, and all that was left was lactic acid.  At his side, Jack walked sedately, slowing his pace to match BT’s.

                “If you’re feeling it now, you’re gonna be in a world of hurt tomorrow, BT.” Jack observed.  BT groaned.

                “I’m in a world of hurt _now_ ,” he groused.

                “Too much fun will do that to a guy,” Jack teased, gently nudging BT in the ribs with an elbow.  “Aspirin and a hot shower will help.”

                They made it to the apartment and BT staggered in only to unceremoniously throw himself face down across the couch with a moan of relief.

                “You get the bed tonight,” BT’s voice was muffled.  “I’m not moving.”   Jack laughed, marching up and tugging hard on BT’s arm.

                “Nope! Get up and go have a shower first, you’re getting sweat all over my couch!” BT let out a loud groan of protest, resisting.  Jack jabbed him in the ribs with a finger. “Up! Shower!” Jack hauled him to his feet and steered him towards the wash room. “I’ll go get us dinner,”

                “Help me wash?”  The words, laced with pluck he normally didn’t possess, slipped form BT’s mouth without permission, and only did he realize what he had said when Jack’s eyes went wide and his face turned pink.  A horrified little thrill of excitement shot through the Link before it was quickly and ferociously stomped down, Jack doggedly getting ahold of himself.  For a horribly long moment, both men were speechless.  Jack recovered first.

                “Take your dam shower and wash yourself, you punk!” He laughed a little too loudly. Already, he was making a retreat for the door. “And use extra soap!” He added. “You smell like a locker room!”

                BT laughed Jack away, but was secretly just a little disappointed his friend hadn’t taken the bait.

 

 

                When Jack returned, he found BT back on the couch, sprawled face down with his arm dangling to the floor, his ankles hooked on the armrest.  He was sound asleep, exhausted.  Jack smiled warmly in silence, quietly stowing the food he had brought back to save for later.

                For a long time, he simply sat, watching BT slumber.  Today had been special for Jack.  Never had he seen BT open up like he did after his success in the gauntlet.  Never had he seen his friend smile for that long, or gladly endure that much attention from a crowd.  BT’s buoyant mood elevated Jack as well, and made him all the more beautiful for it.   If becoming a pilot is what it took to empower BT enough to enjoy a little lightheartedness every now and then, Jack could welcome the change.  He wished he’d done so sooner.

                When it became evident that BT really wasn’t about to move any time soon, Jack pulled out an oversized comforter, gently covering his friend and shutting out the lights.   He retreated to his own room to let BT rest undisturbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a special brand of FLUFF: Happy BT <3
> 
> That invite into the shower is going to haunt Jack for a LONG time, tho. X) Smooth move, B. hehehe.


	16. Chapter 16

\--16--

                BT stopped short of the massive figure and tried to reel in his racing pulse.   He had been left alone to meet his Titan – _his Titan-_ at his leisure.  Standing in the shadow of the massive machine, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. His aching muscles from the Gauntlet the day before, the hangar noises, and even his own pervasive dysphoria. Distantly, he could feel Jack’s mind on him, and he took a moment to push a reassuring thought or two back to his friend, before turning his focus forward.

                The Northstar awaiting his approach was bare metal without any paint: clearly it had just been stripped down, overhauled, and brought back to service.  The tang of fresh oil and newly honed metal filled the air.  As he stepped closer, the great slit-shaped optic swiveled down, the lithe mech crouching down to meet him.

                “Pilot?” She asked. Her voice was amiable and notably feminine.  BT smiled a little.  She was lovely.

                “Not yet,” he told her. “Soon, hopefully, if you’ll accept me.”

                She blinked at him. His response had been unexpected.  After a thoughtful pause, she crouched even lower, her canopy springing open invitingly.

                “I am CE-3677, but you may call me ‘Charlie’ like your predecessor, if you like.”  BT felt a pang at her words.

                “You’ve lost a Pilot?” He asked, edging closer.  He could hear her systems hum softly, just barely audible.  She had been artfully maintained.  “I’m sorry,” he went on. “Perhaps you’re weren’t meant to feel pain, but it hurts, doesn’t it?”

                “Yes.” She fell silent for a long moment, and BT thought she would say more, but when she finally spoke again, the topic had been dropped.  “Please embark when you are ready, Pilot.”   BT’s head spun, just a little, to hear _those_ words, aimed at _him_.  He hesitated, thunderstruck by the reality of what he was about to do.  “Are you well, Pilot?” CE-3677 asked after a moment.  “Have you linked before?  If you are anxious, I am told it is not unpleasant,” she went on, eager to soothe whatever had made him hesitate.   BT laughed a little.

                “No, I’ve been through two Neural Links. But those were… different.”  Sensing that he was not yet ready to embark, CE-3677 closed her canopy back up so that she could better observe BT. 

                “Two…?”  Oh, yes, BT knew how that sounded.  At large, the Militia had a different philosophy, but there were many who still considered Titans to be expendable.   “What is your name, Pilot?”  She was going to do a record search on him, no doubt, to assess her own safety based on his history.   She would not reject him even if she felt she were in danger, but the mistrust would quietly remain.  

                “I am BT-7274,” he said succinctly, and the Northstar straightened up, clearly puzzled.

                “That is a serial number belonging to a veteran Vanguard.” 

                “Same Titan…new chassis,” he said wryly.  “You won’t find records describing what the IMC has done to me.  Transitioning into an organic shell has been difficult, but has allowed me some interesting challenges and opportunities.” He held his hands out for emphasis.  She blinked down at him, optical array tilting quizzically.

                “You…are a Titan.”

                “Sort of. Was.”  He drew in a breath, collecting his thoughts. “Am? It’s.... complicated.”  She seemed to accept that, opening up once again.

                “I can work with complicated.  Please embark.”

                This time, BT complied, climbing carefully up to the open cockpit, peering in.  He had seen the inside of other titans fleetingly, from time to time, as their Pilots embarked, but he had very little idea of what he had looked like.   The Vanguard and Northstar classes were, of course, different designs, but the concept was fairly universal. CE-3677’s interior illuminated invitingly as he approached, and BT let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.  He remembered how apprehensive Jack had seemed when they first Linked, and now he understood where his partner was coming from.  He knew better than anyone what he was in for, but it was still no small thrill stepping in through that canopy.  As he seated himself, he felt his hands tremble, just a little, and his heart race.  CE-3677 closed up sedately as he settled and rose back up to her full height.

                “Are you ready, Pilot?” She asked.  BT nodded, knowing she could see. “Protocol One: Link to Pilot. Scrubbing old link and initializing new Neural Link.” 

                As his world went white, BT couldn’t hold in the gasp as this new entity poured into his mind, very briefly overwhelming him before she settled in comfortably, the powerful rush receding as quickly as it had come.  He let out a long, shaky breath, and for a moment simply sat, waiting for the quivering of his hands to stop. He shook himself, thinking of how it must have been for Jack, having had almost no training, and even less information to prepare him for what he experienced.  No wonder the former Rifleman had spent their first hours together in a sort of awestruck state of shock. BT shivered appreciatively. _Wow._

 

                Jack was following Commander Briggs across the hangar to meet his own new Titan when his link with BT suddenly vanished. Jack gasped sharply, stunned.  One moment, BT had been there, the same comfortable glow in the back of his mind that had steadfastly ensured that he had never been alone once over the last eighteen months, the next there had been nothing. 

                There was no pain.  It felt like a piece of armor sliding away. He was lighter, in a way, but cold.  Several fat tears burst from his eyes before he could stop himself and he grit his teeth, wiping angrily at his eyes with his sleeve, hoping nobody would notice.   At least BT wouldn’t feel the sudden anguish crushing down on his chest.  He lowered his arm to find Briggs staring back at him sadly.  She slowed her pace, allowing him to come level with her, and then her arm was around his shoulder and she was hugging him firmly.  Jack leant in gratefully.   

                “You guys are gonna be fine,” She assured him.  “He’s not going to run off and join the circus just because the Neural Link is gone.” Jack nodded, sullen but trusting.

                “I know,” his voice cracked and he grimaced.  She gave him one last reassuring squeeze before releasing him.   Across the hangar, BT’s Titan had begun a somewhat awkward trek towards the big hangar doors leading out onto the ramp.

                “Now come on, let’s get on with it,” Briggs said, tugging Jack along. 

 

 

                “You are troubled, Pilot.” CE-3677 said.  They had exited the hangar and were milling around the mostly empty ramp, gradually synchronizing to one another. 

                “I am concerned for my…” He trailed off briefly. _Pilot._ “…friend.” He wished Jack would hurry up and get out of the hangar with his new Titan.  “He and I are…very close.  He was troubled by the concept of severing our Neural Link.  I know the levity of the situation will be clear as soon as he establishes a new link, but until then, I know he suffers.”

                “Commander Briggs has notified me that Neural Link between FS-1041 and Pilot Jack Cooper is imminent, ” CE-3677 said after a short pause as she pinged Briggs.  “I do not know this Titan but I do not doubt the Commander’s judgement.  She will have put great thought into assigning him to Cooper, just as she has pairing you and I.” BT nodded, agreeing. 

                “Yes, I am certain you are correct.”

                “Now Pilot,” Charlie went on. “While I suspect you need no explanation of my capabilities, please do take the time to better acquaint yourself with my systems.  We have an entire training block reserved for ourselves and Pilot Cooper for the remainder of the day.”

 

 

                Jack stared up at the Tone peering down at him, its optic narrowed as it scrutinized him.  It blinked, then diverted its gaze over Jack’s shoulder to Commander Briggs.

                “This is Jack Cooper.”  The Tone said in a masculine voice that Jack found somewhat reminiscent of BT’s, although the pitch was a much lighter tenor than BT’s almost smoky delivery.  It was surprising. He had never met a Tone that wasn’t programmed as female.

                “Happy?” Briggs asked, and Jack glanced back to see her smirking. The Tone crouched down suddenly to be on level with Jack.  “This is FS-1041. We call him ‘Ten’.”

                “ _Finally_!” It almost sighed the word.  “I’ve been asking for _ages_.”

                “You…requested me?” Jack was perplexed.

                “Captain Lastimosa had me reserved under your name nearly two years ago.  I have been waiting for you, Pilot Cooper.”  Without another word, Ten’s canopy sprung open, welcoming.

                Jack was stunned.  He turned on his heel, staring back at Briggs, and she shrugged, smirking.  He stared back at Ten for a few long moments.  There was no comparing Ten to BT, but the excited sort of eagerness that he greeted Jack with gave the Pilot the same sense of home that BT did.  One by one, Jack’s little black list of fears got shorter and shorter.

                “Well _go on!_ ” Briggs shooed him forward. “Go say hello already.”

                Taking a deep breath, Jack leapt up into the awaiting Titan. The canopy snapped shut almost immediately, and Ten was already moving by the time Jack had seated himself.

                “Protocol One: Link to Pilot.  Reinitializing new Neural Link.”

                The unforgettable searing sensation of a newly forged Link, as the Tone slid into his mind, came much easier than Jack had expected.  Ten perched himself in the back of Jack’s mind unobtrusively, and Jack let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.  He took a moment to pull himself back to his senses, before straightening up with a small smile.

                “Cool. Let’s go find the others.”

                This was not BT. He was by no means comparable to his friend’s monumental personality and force of character, and this relieved Jack immensely.  Ten could be his Titan whilst BT would soundly remain-

                “Oh…!” Ten exclaimed in awestruck surprise as he followed Jacks train of thought.

                - _The love of Jack’s life._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH finally. This chapter was difficult and generally dissatisfying to write, hence the delay. My BT Muse was being a snot. Charlie wanted to talk and he was too busy worrying about Jack.  
> I gutted and re-wrote this chapter three times. I feel like it's important, but not very interesting. >.< So. Yeah. Sorry for skipping an update and then giving you a less-exciting one. 
> 
> Fun facts: Charlie is named after my first airplane. Over the last couple days as I pondered her, she transformed from a cookie cutter character to an embodiment of a lot of sentimentality for me. Though she may not always be directly connected to BT you'll probably see her appear again in other stories because she's absolutely moved in on my head.  
> Ten... is a test of your nerd. :)


	17. Chapter 17

\--17--

                Jack stood by, helmet in hand, smiling warmly as BT took his time saying goodbye to his Northstar.  She stood in front of her rack, but was crouched down to be on level with him. He had both hands resting over her narrow wrist. He spoke softly to her, and Jack watched her turn and look his way as BT pointed to him.  Jack blinked. What was that about?  If she replied to BT, he couldn’t hear it, but his friend looked satisfied nonetheless and, at length, turned away to join the other Pilot.

                Across the hangar, FS-1041 had already gone into power-down, his optics dark. Outside, a sliver of orange shone through the still cracked-open hangar doors, hinting at one of Harmony’s infamous sunsets. The golden light that filtered into the hangar backlit BT as he approached Jack, giving the other Pilot an unearthly glow. His eyes glittered in the shadows of his face, and Jack could just make out a gentle smile.  The Former-Titan’s posture gave away his joy even further, shoulders relaxed, spine curved into almost a slouch, his chin high as he watched Jack watch him.  As he came to Jack’s side, he draped one hand over his friend’s shoulder.

                “You okay?” BT asked.  They had trained together all day, but had not spoken directly to one another since very early that morning.  Jack let his little smile broaden slightly.

                “Yeah.” He was. Especially with BT back at his side and his hand on his shoulder.  He couldn’t feel his friend’s mood but he could see it clearly on his face, and while BT had one hell of a poker face, Jack suddenly realized that it would likely never be used on him.  BT had been open through the Link, so there was no reason for Jack to think he would be any different now.  “You were right, of course,” Jack added after a few minutes of silence. BT had not let go of Jack, but instead pulled him in against his side as they walked, their stride synchronizing as he draped his arm across Jack’s back affectionately.

                “Of course,” BT chuckled.

 

                It wasn’t until they had returned to the apartment that Jack asked about BT’s exchange with his Northstar.

                “She is CE-3677, she calls herself Charlie,” BT began, his expression softening, “and I was explaining to her that in order to maintain my safety, she must, when possible, protect you as well.” 

                Jack’s jaw hinged open just a little.  He was less surprised that BT felt so protective and more so that the former Titan was so frank about it. 

                “She’ll do it, too,” BT nodded to himself.  “She’s a good one. She’s been very well programmed.” He chuckled a little as he heard himself.  “This is strange…this… fondness.” He looked back up to Jack, eyes bright. “I’ve never before cared about anyone but you, Jack.” He laughed a little once again, slightly flustered by this new realization. “But this is normal, right? Humans can love different things different ways…”  He was pacing the small space as he flossed out his thoughts aloud.  Jack sat on the couch, watching his friend raptly, his feet pulled up out of the way as BT circled the room.  “My experience with love is all from what you’ve given me, Jack.”

                “BT…”  Jack started, but cut short as BT stopped and turned to face Jack, his intense gaze pinning the pilot.

                “What you’ve given me isn’t some cheap facsimile,” BT crossed the room to stop in front of Jack.  “Not just a casual affection, but marrow deep…maybe deeper.” He reached down, grasping Jack’s wrists each in one hand and gently pulled him to his feet. “I felt it, Jack, right up until the moment the Link severed, and in a way, I still can.” 

                Jack stared up at his friend, absolutely speechless and utterly captivated.

                “I can finally understand it now, Jack.   I understand why you were so pained at the thought of losing that unique connection, and…” He trailed off, searching for the words, even as he slowly, deliberately pulled Jack ever closer, gradually folding him into a gentle embrace. “…I am honored that you would sacrifice your career in order to remain closer to me.”   He dropped his chin to the top of Jack’s head, and the Pilot in his arms all but melted from the sweetness.  “Please forgive me, I didn’t intend to make you think I would so easily throw that away.”

                “I understand, BT,” Jack said softly, his voice muffled against BT’s chest.  “I’m glad you did, that you didn’t let me unintentionally smother you.” Jack wiggled back just enough that he could look up and meet BT’s eyes.  “Are you happy?  That’s all I want, BT.  If I can help… I want to.” He nodded as if reaffirming with himself his words.  “Anything.”

               BT smiled, dropping his forehead to rest against Jack’s.

              “I think you’ll find that a fairly easy task, Jack,” BT said, and Jack’s vision was filled with the brilliant blue-green of BT’s eyes as he stared back at his friend from point-blank.  He watched as BT canted his head to place a light kiss on Jack’s cheek. Jack went very still, waiting.  To his disappointment, BT pulled back.  “Jack?” BT’s eyes had filled with concern.  “If this isn’t what you want, you need to tell me.”  Horror struck Jack as he realized BT was mistaking his inaction for rejection.

                “No!” His hands flew to BT’s shoulders, holding him steadfast before he could pull away fully. “No, it’s not that at all…” Jack corrected. “I just…I…” He heaved a sigh as he struggled, frustrated with himself.  “I’m so scared of overstepping the line, BT.” He let his forehead drop to BT’s shoulder briefly as he gathered himself back up. “Until I’m sure where that line even is, I-“He cut off when BT issued a patient chuckle.

                “I will draw it clearly for you then,” BT said.  There was a smolder in his voice that made Jack shiver faintly. The Former Titan reached out to cradle Jack’s face in both hands, taking a moment to simply gaze into Jack’s eyes before kissing him firmly.  Jack moaned softly, tilting his head against BT’s hands to allow a better fit of their lips. When BT pulled back for air, his eyes were glazed with emotion.  “I want all that you are willing to offer, Jack,” BT said softly, “and I need you to show me how to give it all back to you as you so deserve.”   Jack gaped up at BT.  “If,” BT whispered, “you are willing.” BT was delicately peeling off Jack’s armor one piece at a time, lightening the extra weight on his friend’s body.  He occasionally leaned in to lay butterfly kisses over Jack’s face, and the other Pilot shrugged out of the top of his flight suit with a sigh of relief.  His hands shook as he fumbled to help BT out of the heavy gear as well.

                “Yes,” Jack breathed at last, and BT let out a low hum of delight.

                “Then tell me, Pilot, why does my heart race?” BT murmured in close to Jack’s ear.  “And my breathing come short?” He kissed Jack again full on the lips, thrilling at the sharp gasp a gentle swipe of the tongue drew out of Jack. “Why does it burn me alive when I do this?”  He spoke over Jack’s lips before pressing in again, and again.  “Do you feel it?”  Jack moaned into his mouth and then pulled away only to grab BT by the shoulders and carefully push him back to the couch.   The former Titan complied with an easy smile, gladly lounging back as he sat, letting Jack follow him down.

                Jack’s lips immediately fell to BT’s jaw line, trailing down to nudge aside his collar and if BT stopped the Pilot at all, it was only to unzip his flight suit off and quickly divest his undershirt. Jack happily followed suit and BT enjoyed a long shiver as Jack laid over him, letting his bare chest down over BT’s in a silken slide of skin on skin.  BT brought his hands up to spread wide over Jack’s arched spine, pressing the Pilot down to him, even as he nestled his face into the sweet warmth of the crook of Jack’s neck.  Jack was peppering kisses over his collarbones, throat and chest, taking great care to methodically taste every square inch he could reach.  Each new touch brought another fresh gasp from the man under him, BT beginning to squirm from the attention.  His hands fell still as he rapidly became overwhelmed by Jack’s work. 

                Jack didn’t mind.  He pushed upwards, crushing down a ferociously passionate kiss over BT’s invitingly parted lips, drawing out a melodious series of gasps and tiny moans.  When BT’s breathing began to turn ragged, he pulled back, simply waiting for those aquamarine eyes, clamped shut in passion, to open back up.  When he saw Jack watching him, BT offered a blissful smile. He took a moment, letting his breathing slow back down, before he spoke.

                “Wow,” BT said the single word like a prayer. He licked his lips, his smile returning. “I had no idea…it could be this good.”  His eyes glittered wetly with joy.

                Jack smiled crookedly.

                “It’s just a kiss, BT,” he chuckled.  “It gets better.”  BT grinned, delighted by this news.

                “I believe you, Jack,” BT said, even as he pulled Jack back down to him, demanding an encore.  

                This time, BT actively participated, thrilling Jack as he arched up from underneath him enthusiastically.  He became deliciously pliant, opening up for Jack as his Pilot pressed into his mouth and greeting the gentle probe of Jack’s tongue with his own, eliciting a burst of sensation like fireworks through both men. BT dug his fingers into Jack’s hair, garnering a choked sound from the Pilot and a satisfied rumble from BT.  Jack broke off, gasping.

              “Show me more,” BT demanded, voice rough.  Jack’s heart did a triple backflip.

              “Holy shit, BT!” Jack giggled a little, giddy.  BT grinned up at him, openly panting with lust.

              “Please?” The Titan supplicated, and Jack returned his grin.  Who was he to deny?

                 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEH <3
> 
> UPDATE! 7.8.17  
> Made Artwork of the first bit http://makoredeyes.deviantart.com/art/PILOTS-691582378


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Really just 17 Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I just hiked up the rating for a reason so if you're not into more explicit stuff, skip to the bottom for the end-of-chapter gratuitous fluff.

\--18—

                Jack Cooper was positively devouring him. A man of detail as he was, BT struggled to keep up with cataloguing every single touch, determined to cherish each as a single treasured memory. Perhaps Jack knew this and was actively trying to distract him.  Perhaps the Pilot had simply been overcome by his own passionate desperation.  It didn’t matter.  Jack’s palms sliding like fire over his sides and chest, ardent lips bearing down on his and drawing out his breath in gasps; all of it eclipsed any thought BT tried to have, and he gladly surrendered. 

                Everything ached for Jack, BT’s skin positively crawling where Jack did not touch, and he felt like his soul was swelling out of him, reaching for his friend, and it was this sudden realization, more so than Jack’s mouth on his ear, that rendered BT’s first ecstatic cry.

                He had not thought he had a soul, but Jack had just reached into him and pulled it out for him to observe.

                “Jack…” He moaned the name because it was all he could think of.  Jack’s hands were on his face, cradling him, and BT watched Jack’s shoulders sway as the Pilot shifted slowly, his hips grinding over BT’s in a slow, sensuous slide. “ _Jack_ …” The Pilot interrupted him with another kiss, feather-light and teasing.  BT’s loins burned, lust at long last demanding attention as his erection slowly became too much to ignore. He bucked lightly against Jack, wordlessly begging.  Jack let out a long, low groan.

                “Oh my God…” He pressed down on BT, earning himself another twitch of the Titan’s hips. “Don’t tease, BT…”  BT’s response was to run his fingernails lightly down Jack’s spine, eliciting a soft cry.

 

                BT’s flight suit was zipped down low enough that just the top of his boxers peeked out, and as Jack’s hands traveled lower, the Pilot indulged in just slightly slipping his thumbs under the elastic waistband.  BT jerked with a startled gasp, and Jack withdrew, looking back up.  BT let his chest heave as he stared back down at Jack.  Jack was watching him in concern, his hands lifted away from BT’s body as he waited for permission to go further.  BT’s cock twitched against the weight over him, and he could see Jack’s pupils dilate when he noticed.  The two stared down BT’s body at one another, frozen.  When the moment started to stretch, Jack straightened up, removing himself from BT entirely.

                “Nothing will happen that doesn’t have your one-hundred percent consent,” Jack said, even as he too gasped for air, flushed and thoroughly disheveled.  BT took a deep breath.

                “Don’t stop, Jack.” His voice came out faint and reedy with desire. “I can’t totally guess what I’m in for, but I want this.”

                “BT I hardly know what I’m doing either,” Jack chuckled wryly, “but I’m doing my best to fake my way into making it good for you.”  

                “Then keep faking it,” BT breathed. “I trust you.”  

                Jack nodded, a crooked little smile gracing his lips, before he leaned back in over BT.  For a moment, he simply laid his palms over BT’s hips, holding him.  The heat of his palms soaked through the flight suit and into BT and made the heat roiling in his belly spread out into his ribs and thighs.  Jack held his gaze a little longer, waiting to be sure, before at long last one hand went back to the pull on the zipper, dangling just below BT’s navel. 

                The slow downward tug of the zip was more erotic than either man had expected, Jack’s eyes hazing over lustily, and the minute vibrations making BT’s head swim.  BT sat up abruptly, hurriedly shrugging the rest of the way out of the jumpsuit and kicking it aside.  Jack waited patiently, openly admiring the tremendous tent in the Former Titan’s shorts.  BT’s gaze eventually followed Jack’s, and he blushed deeply at the sight of himself.

                “Uhm…” He squirmed and Jack leaned in to kiss him firmly, stealthily settling his weight back down over his friend’s erection, earning a sharp gasp.

                “I’m taking that as a compliment, BT,” Jack cooed.  The Pilot sat back again, eyes fixed on BT’s expression as he smoothed his palms over BT’s well-toned abs and chest, before finally sliding lower once more, BT hungrily tracking the motion with his eyes.  As Jack’s thumbs both hooked into his waistband, BT let his eyes drift shut. His body shook, his muscles quivering in anticipation as Jack carefully pushed his shorts down off his hips.  The wash of cool air over his member as it was freed made BT moan deeply, and he heard Jack echo the sound appreciatively. Jack’s hand shook slightly as it curled around BT, squeezing firmly, and BT arched high into Jack’s grip, his own hands fisted deep into the fabric bunched around his Pilot’s hips.  Distantly, BT realized that there was reciprocation involved here; that Jack was grossly overdressed by comparison, but he was helpless to the tidal wave of sensation twisting his body with arousal.  Concerned, nonetheless, BT cracked one eye open to check on Jack just in time to watch the other’s head dip down low.  He watched, awestruck, as the tip of his member disappeared through Jack’s lips, and immediately let out a wanton half-scream at the sensation.

                Jack’s mouth was hot and velvety around him, and BT felt as though his entire body had been enveloped by it, that one finite point of pleasure overriding every other thought and function BT possessed.  BT panted hard, overcome.

              Inexperienced as he was, Jack took his time, gingerly taking in more and more of BT as he went down.  This gave BT plenty of time to track the gradual progress, and note the exact moment he pressed against the back of Jack’s throat, making the Pilot cough.  BT squirmed, tossing his head as he desperately resisted the urge to thrust upwards, his fingers digging into the couch beneath him.  Jack’s grip was equally taut, one hand still gripping the base of BT’s erection, the other gripping his hip hard enough to bruise but somehow making goosebumps of pleasure sprout all over BT’s thighs. 

              It wasn’t until Jack’s nose bumped BT’s belly that Jack reversed course, drawing up in one long, clean slide.  BT shuddered, his toes curling with pleasure.

              “O-oh...” He moaned, his hands coming up to Jack’s shoulders, unconsciously nudging his friend back down.  Jack complied, swallowing BT a little more quickly this time.  BT couldn’t help but hitch up his hips, just a little, closing the last half inch as Jack descended. Jack moaned, the sound’s vibrations rattling BT and drawing out another gasped-out cry.  He could feel Jack smile around him briefly before he went further down, and the sound repeated, longer and deeper than before, and this time BT couldn’t stop the reflex as he thrust up into Jack.  Jack choked briefly, grunting, but held out. Sensing BT’s urgency, Jack began to bob his head in earnest, quickening his pace.  

                The first few rapid strokes brought out moans, but as Jack drove BT ever higher, the litany of hisses and groans rose to become muffled shouts and wails. Jack had shifted, releasing his vice-like grip on BT’s hip to instead cradle his testicles, pressing his thumb up to the base.  BT bucked hard, shouting Jack’s name. Jack repeated the gesture, and the words and sounds spilled from BT unchecked.

                “Jack! J-j-Jaaack! Aaah…!” Jack, very carefully, applied a delicate scrape of teeth, and BT’s nuts tightened in the man’s palm.  “I-! Oh _god_ Jack!” BT stuttered, his hips jutting upwards to meet his partner’s lips without restraint, his entire body growing tighter and tighter and BT was certain he was going to snap and _“Yes!”_ that was exactly what he wanted. “Yes oh _please Jack don’t stop!”_  

                A full-body shiver cracked over BT as he finally unloaded into Jack’s mouth with a shriek, his body bowing off the couch with the force of it.  Jack groaned long and low as he rode it out, taking all of it.  BT’s ears rang, the nerves in his skin prickling and tingling effervescently as he finally began to come back down.  His voice rattled with his breathing, the whole operation hitching momentarily as Jack carefully withdrew. 

                Jack shook as he crawled back up to flop, exhausted, over BT, tucking his head into the Former Titan’s shoulder.  Trembling all over, BT turned into him, hugging him hard.  It took BT several long minutes to regain his breathing enough to speak.

                “That was amazing, Jack…” BT breathed the words right into Jack’s ear, eliciting a shiver.

                “Wow…” Jack’s voice was rough, even at a whisper.  “I…just _wow_ , BT.  That was one hell of a show,” Jack breathed, his hands roving as he lovingly caressed as much of BT as he could reach. “I’m honored that you would show me that…” He reached up to delicately kiss BT’s cheek.  BT let out a long, happy sigh, reveling in the post-coital euphoria.  For a long time, Jack simply held him, and BT was able to listen to his partner’s breathing gradually slow back down to a normal pace. 

              “This is it,” Jack said suddenly.  “This is what love feels like.  Not that stuff before.  That…”  He laughed hoarsely. “That was pure animalistic lust.  But this now…when everything else is spent…that’s love.” He paused. “I…I love you BT.” BT’s eyes watered as he listened, reveling in how Jack’s arms tightened around him as he spoke. “I think you knew that, but I needed to tell you properly.” He paused. “I think…I think I always have, too.”

              BT felt like his heart could burst, every sweet thing Jack said filling him more and more. 

              “I… I knew this was love,” BT murmured happily.  “I never thought I would say it, and really mean it, but I’m glad I’ve ended up like this.  You make all of it worth it.”  

              Jack’s only response was a rather wet hiccup and a sniffle, but BT could feel Jack’s smile against his neck. 

              As the endorphins began to ebb, and reality started to phase back in, BT suddenly remembered something.

              “Oh!” He sat up, startling Jack.  “You… I never…I… what about you?”  To his horror, Jack only laughed.

              “Oh no no no, BT, this was all about you…”  When BT scowled, he went on. “Besides, to be honest, I creamed myself on the first scream.” His grin turned lewd.  “You’re one spectacle to behold, BT.”   Not once before this day, had BT been flustered enough to blush as hard as he did now, and Jack’s grin only broadened as BT squirmed.

              “O-oh.”

              Jack’s smile softened, and he wiggled out of BT’s loosening grip to stand up.

              “C’mon, Love,” he extended a hand down to BT, still draped bonelessly over the couch.  “Let’s get cleaned up and get to bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I.Have.Been.Waiting.For.This since chapter 7!!!! This was SOOOO hard to write, not because of the content, but because I was literally interrupted in some of THE WORST places. I've pretty much spent my day in mental anguish from it.  
> *dies*  
> I know everyone thought I was gonna leave you all hanging with just a good snogging but nope... :)
> 
> I had half a mind to end it here, but I have more work to do... THAT SAID... Not sure I'll be updating daily (but probably still every other day if I slow down at all) because I have things I've been neglecting in lieu of posting so frequently, but I didn't initially expect this to go on for so long so I can't quite keep blowing off ALL my responsibilities. (Adulting sucks) So...please know if it slows down a bit it's not for lack of motivation or anything else icky that might jeopardize this fic.


	19. Chapter 19

\--19—

                Jack tried not to smirk in his cereal as BT’s knee drifted over under the table to bump lightly against his.  The Former Titan had subtly maintained direct contact as often as possible since the night before. Very little else about his demeanor might have betrayed any change.  His countenance was calm, his posture as crisp and straight as always.  He picked at his breakfast, still generally disinterested in food.

                To Jack, however, the tell-tale details stood out: a faint curl at the corner of his lips, a single undone button at his collar; the occasional flash of glitter in the palm of his right hand, fingers curled around something tiny there, constantly turning, touching.  It was one of the prismatic crystals Jack had given him.  BT caught Jack looking and opened his palm briefly, confirming what the Pilot thought he had seen within, before stashing it away safely in a breast pocket.

                “I have an idea for the rest,” BT said softly so that only Jack could hear. “I need to figure out the details, though.”  Jack raised his eyebrows, interested, but before he could ask, a blonde-haired ray of sunshine crashed down into BT.

                “Hey there, handsome stuff,” Janelle threw her arms around BT, hugging him.  BT endured with a grimace, causing the medic to laugh brightly. She settled back into the seat beside him, planting her elbows on the table and grinning over at the Former Titan. “I heard you Linked to a Northstar yesterday. Congratulations.” Her eyes widened just as she finished, as if something had just dawned on her. “Ooh! Was it weird to link with another Titan, BT?”  She leaned forward raptly, and BT scooted back until his hip struck Jack’s.  Jack scooted further down the bench to allow his friend more room with a chuckle.

                “Not nearly as weird as you’re making it,” BT said flatly.  Jack threw his head back and laughed, and Janelle had the decency to blush.

                “Sorry, just excited.” She smiled toothily.  “So, I take it you guys haven’t been to the hangar yet.”

                It wasn’t a question.

                “Should we have?” Jack asked.  For a moment, she didn’t answer him, staring back at BT waiting for his reaction as well. Noticing the attention, BT shoveled a large spoonful of cereal into his mouth hastily, crunching loudly.  Janelle sighed dramatically.

                “Oh-kay, BT I won’t tease you so much anymore, promise.”  She got up and moved to the other side of the table, giving him his space.  BT swallowed hard and sighed.

                “I’m not the touchy-feely type,” BT said.

                “Except you’ve been glued to Cooper the whole time you’ve been eating.” BT’s eyes got minutely wider. “Yea, everyone can see it. Chill.  You two were inseparable even before you were fun-shaped. Nobody ever expected it to be different.” Her smile softened to a much more honestly friendly expression. “I’ll leave you boys alone, but you should definitely go check on your rigs. The swing-shift worked all night on ‘em.”   She laughed as the two Pilots exchanged a glance, and as quickly as she had arrived, she was back on her feet and picking her way through the ever growing breakfast crowd.

 

 

                Jack craned his neck up at FS-1041 and grinned.

                “I’ll be damned,” he said brightly.

                “My old colors…” BT murmured from his side. “Did they…?” He spun on his heel to look back across to the far end of the hangar. There stood CE-3677 in the same style of livery.  She blinked brightly at him when she noticed his gaze.  He waved, and after a pause, she waved back.  Jack gave out a soft snort of amusement.

                “Cute, you two.” Jack stood back, admiring the scheme.  It was slightly different than BT’s old Vanguard Chassis, but directly reminiscent of it.  Charlie looked to have significantly more orange, however.  “Matching paint jobs…I like it.”

                “It’s good?” FS-1041 asked, shuffling where he stood.  “I needed a reboot after I heard what Maintenance was planning.”   Jack laughed.

                “It’s good.” Jack back over to BT. “What do you think, Bud?”   BT smirked good-naturedly.

                “Looked better on the Vanguard class.”  FS-1041 puffed up, flaring his vents in indignation, even as Jack laughed.  “Just a joke,” BT said, smiling.  “I might be biased anyway, but I think it’s fantastic.”

               

                “Hey Cooper!”  A shout echoed from the front of the hangar, and Jack turned to the technician waving to him. “C’mere a mo!”  Jack perked up a little, patting BT on the arm as he started to head that direction.

                “Be right back, BT.”   He trotted off, leaving BT behind to stare up at Ten.  A few moments passed before BT finally broke the silence.   

                “I hope you intend to take Protocol 3 as seriously as I have,” BT said softly.  “Jack is a wanted man, you’ll have your work cut out for you, with him.”  To his surprise, FS-1041 became immediately standoffish at the comment.

                “That is not your business anymore,” the Tone said roughly.  BT felt his chest grow hot with anger, but he held it down, keeping control. He took pride in owning his emotions, not the other way around.   BT could personally attest that Ten was not the first Titan to become possessive of its Pilot, but the unfriendly attitude was concerning.

                “It is. He is my friend and regardless of the programming I was once beholden to, I am and always will be concerned for his wellbeing.” BT spoke softly, countering to the grinding of actuators and vents as the Tone standing over him became more agitated.

                “I am,” Ten snapped, “perfectly capable of protecting my Pilot. Significantly more so, in fact, than some squishy little meatbag like yourself so kindly, as the idiom goes, buzz off.” BT was utterly aghast at the Tone’s words, and for a brief moment, he was rendered speechless.  He stepped back half a step, eyes narrowing as he assessed the titan.

                “I would suggest,” BT said slowly, voice low and dangerous. “That you adjust your programming, lest you find yourself deemed unfit for service.”  FS stomped one foot threateningly, crouching low to glare at BT from short range.

                “Just get over it.  Cooper is my Pilot now. You gave that up.” Ten leaned in further. “Do you know how much you hurt him? You meant the world to him and you abandoned him so you could run off and play People.  You missed the shot, Vanguard.”   

                BT openly scowled at the Tone.

                “Check your attitude, Titan.” BT snarled.  FS lunged forward a step to tower directly over BT, straightening up and widening his shoulders in an openly threatening stance.

                “He’s _mine_ now. You had your chance,” The Tone insisted.

                “He is your Pilot, yes.” BT said frostily. “That does not allow you, or anyone else, claim over his entire person.”  Distantly, a subtle rattling sound grabbed BT’s ear, but he didn’t dare turn away from the very large and very hostile mech looming over him.

                “If I flatten you, it does.” FS-1041 all but growled.  From across the hangar, there was an unmistakable clunk, and BT finally looked over his shoulder to see CE-3677 with her Railgun raised, the tip glowing molten-red as the charge reached full power.  Her optic was white-hot and glittering dangerously, her missile pods raised and ready for the offensive.

                “Move any closer to my Pilot and I will demolish you,” Charlie said softly, her usually gentle voice cold as it carried across the hangar.   Personnel all over the hangar scattered as her words registered.

                “Whoa, whoa, _WHOA_!”  BT jumped as Jack’s voice bellowed across the hangar. The Pilot had noticed the standoff and was running at a full sprint back to where BT stood. “Ok, no.  Simmer down, guys!” He skidded to a halt next to BT, positioning himself between his friend and Ten.  “Back off, Ten!”  He turned as the Tone subsided somewhat, to address CE-3677.  “Charlie, settle down. Nobody’s getting demolished, Sweetie.”  The Northstar immediately lowered her weapon, disarming and shouldering it obediently.  Satisfied with Charlie, Jack turned back to his own Titan.  He stomped right up to the Tone, and hoisted himself up the gigantic metal body to be on level with him, grabbing the orbital sphere of his optic and wrenching it his way, forcing Ten to make eye-contact.

                “Ten, I need you to listen very, very carefully.” He waited, and Ten, contrite, blinked passively.  “You are to treat BT with the same care and respect you would me, okay?”  Jack paused for emphasis before going on. “He’s not just my Titan, or whatever. He’s my most treasured friend.  You want me, you get him too.”  Ten made a low rattling sound, hunkering down on his struts dejectedly. “I won’t forgive you twice for mistreating him, do you understand?”  Ten blinked again, and let out a low bleat of static.

                “Yes.”

                “I cannot emphasize enough how important this man is to me, Ten.”  Jack sat back from his perch on the Tone’s side.  “If you can’t accept that he is an integral part of me, we cannot work together.”  It hurt to say it, but Jack really couldn’t have a Titan he couldn’t trust, and if Ten was acting as aggressively as he appeared to have been with BT, the Tone was already on thin ice.  FS-1041 shuttered his optic for a long moment, before gently plucking Jack from himself and lowering his Pilot to the ground with the utmost care.

                “Adjusting programming,” Ten said at last. “There will be no such infraction again.”   Jack sighed, even as he rejoined BT’s side.

                “Good.” He rubbed his face, watching BT’s expression.  The Former Titan nodded, accepting the Tone’s assertion. “Good,” Jack repeated, suddenly tired.  C’mon… Let’s… let’s go see how the sun looks on this new paint.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor BT can't get a break today. X)
> 
> Go easy on Ten. He's an asshole but he means well.


	20. Chapter 20

\--20—

                Jack and BT sat together on a low wall along the training grounds, elbow to elbow as they took a break.  Nearby Ten and Charlie had hunkered down into their respective sentry modes, ever vigilant, even in friendly territory.   

                “Don’t be too hard on FS-1041, Jack,” BT said as he grudgingly accepted the protein bar Jack stuffed into his hands. He took his time peeling open the wrapper, not even remotely interested, but willing to humor Jack and eat it anyway.   “He is programed to be ferociously protective of his Pilot.”

                “Pretty sure Titans shouldn’t threaten officers, though,” Jack grumbled.

                “No they should not,” BT agreed. “I believe, however, that he was sincere in saying it wouldn’t happen again.”  Jack didn’t seem convinced.  “I asked Charlie to look up the serial number,” BT went on. “He’s another Vanguard AI.  The Militia is too short on resources to build more Vanguards right now so he got stuffed into that Tone Chassis.  While I don’t approve of his pugnacious disposition, it’s quite common for the Vanguards to be… well.” He laughed a little. “Different.”  Jack was watching BT more carefully now, curious as to where the Former Titan was going with this.  “We were programmed to be more independent, more capable of free thought, from the very start.”  He gestured towards Charlie with his meal bar.  “The IMC tends to program its Titans to be more docile.  Charlie is a perfect example of this.  She was built to be a tool, not a friend.”  Jack grimaced.  It was an ugly truth he didn’t like to think about.   “Ten and I, however, and our other Vanguard brethren, were given the opportunity to develop.  Some of us,” he canted his head, chuckling. “Picked up some unfortunate traits along the way.”   Jack grumbled. Unfortunate was right.

                “The Militia considered me to possess a problematic disposition as well, you know.  You were allowed to keep me because I was willing to behave myself for you.” Jack looked stunned.  Yes, BT had been a charismatic Titan, but he had never considered him ‘problematic’.  “It would have been difficult for them to find me another pilot.” BT went on, smirking fondly.  Jack had mellowed him significantly, and humanity had done the rest, but he had been notoriously stubborn as a Titan.  “Captain Lastimosa was a very patient, kind man,” he said wryly.  “You were very likely given FS-1041 because you have already proven skilled at handling eccentric AIs.”  BT picked off a chunk of his bar, taking a moment to chew before going on.  “You can trust him, Jack. He is tremendously loyal.”

                “What did he say to you, exactly?” Jack asked when BT said no more.  BT made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat.

                “Oh, a few fantastically rude things, and a few things I probably needed to be told.” BT’s eyes glittered just a little, and he very deliberately dropped part of his protein bar as an excuse to look down instead of at Jack.   While BT was confident that he and Jack had made amends to any hurt he might have inadvertently dealt the other Pilot, it still didn’t feel very nice to have his mistakes thrown in his face.

                “Like what, BT?” Jack pressed.

                “Meh,” BT said, shrugging the question off without answering.  Jack sighed heavily when he realized he wasn’t getting an answer.  “This is chocolate flavored, isn’t it?” BT flattened out the wrapper to his protein bar, peering at the label.  “I had hoped it was coffee.”

                Jack chuckled.

                “Noted. Coffee next time.”

               

 

 

                “Okay, so, what’s your beef with BT, anyway?” Jack asked Ten as the Tone reloaded his Tracker Cannon. Jack was familiar with the weapon thanks to BT, but operating the Tone chassis was a bit different from what he was used to, and so some extra practice was needed. At the far end of the shooting range, BT laid across Charlie’s back, talking to her as she practiced her shot.  Jack smiled as he watched the pair through the viewscreen. His friend was spending more time outside of his Titan than piloting her.

                “Beef?  I don’t…?”  Ten didn’t understand the idiom. 

                “Err…quarrel? You looked pretty fired up this morning.  He wouldn’t tell me what you said, which suggests it must have been pretty awful.”

                Ten lowered his weapon, and was quiet for a long time.

                “He…stole you from me,” The Titan said at last.  Jack sighed. Captain Lastimosa had meant for Ten to be assigned to Jack as soon as he had finished training him.  Somehow, his name had stayed on the roster, even after he linked with BT.  He had learned that FS-1041 had sat as nothing more than a Datacore on a shelf after his chassis was donated to BT during the battle of Typhon.   The AI had literally been left abandoned to wait for Jack for nearly two years.

                “BT had his pilot stolen from him that day, too, you know.” Jack said, somber. “He misses Captain Lastimosa.”  Ten made a low noise that sounded suspiciously like a grumble.  This AI was definitely more vocally expressive than BT had been. “It doesn’t matter how good your math is, “Jack said. “At the end of the day, sometimes our plans just don’t work out like we intended.”  The Tone said nothing, but Jack got the sense that he had grudgingly accepted what Jack had told him.  After waiting a good long while, Ten finally raised his Cannon back up to ready position, selecting a series of targets on Jack’s HUD.   Jack rattled off three bullseyes and one good shot, and fought down a grumble. The Tone wasn’t as fast as he would like, but it couldn’t be helped. He would adjust.

                “Are you in love?”  Ten asked suddenly.  The question didn’t surprise Jack nearly as much as he would have thought.  The Tone had definitely sensed Jack’s feelings regarding BT when they linked, and the Pilot had made it unavoidably clear that BT was important to him.

                “Yes,” he said plainly, without hesitation.

                “Does he know?” Ten asked.  Jack smiled warmly to himself.

                “Oh yes.”

                “But…he hurt you,” Ten insisted.  Jack closed his eyes sadly. The dots were starting to connect.  “I could feel it when we Linked.”

                “No, I mostly hurt myself, Ten.”  Ten made a soft grinding noise, a familiar sound of confusion.  “I was thinking of BT, but I was actually just agonizing over imaginary things that never actually happened.  Humans do that, sometimes.  It sucks but we can’t help it.” He patted the cabin wall reassuringly. “If anything, it was BT that helped me out of my funk.  We worked it all out.”  Ten was silent in thought, processing what he’d just been told.

                “Okay,” he said at last.   Jack blinked, stunned.

                “Okay?”

                “As long as you’re okay. That is what is important to me.  If BT-7274 makes you okay, then I can accept that.  I overstepped my place and made some assumptions. I will endeavor to be more thorough with my fact collecting in the future.” 

                Jack laughed lightly at the tense formality. 

                “It’s okay now, Ten. Just… I prefer BT stay in one piece.”

                “Oh.” Ten shuffled a little, absently reloading his cannon, one shell at a time.  Jack chuckled.

                “You’ll survive, Ten,” he reassured the Titan. “You’re a tough guy.”

 

 

 

               On another planet, a datapad illuminated, a short and concise message awaiting retrieval.

 

                                                                                                **\--WANTED—**

**1\. COOPER, JACK**

                                                HAIR:BLK. EYES:BN. HT :173CM. WT:80KG. TATTOO ON L ARM.

                                                PILOT. MAURADER CORPS, MILITA.

                                                **BOUNTY WITH PROOF OF EXTERMINATION.**

**2\.  IMC SUBJECT HB-33421**

                                                HAIR:BN. EYES:GRN. HT:185CM. WT:85KG. SCARRING ON SCALP.

                                                TEST SUBJECT. HUMAN/TITAN HYBRID.

                                                ALIAS BT-7274. ADL. NAMES UNKN.

                                                **BOUNTY WITH LIVE CAPTURE.**

_FURTHER DETAILS WITH CONTRACT. ACCEPT Y/N?_


	21. Chapter 21

\--21—

                Kuben Blisk lounged against the foot of his Legion, soaking in a little sun while he poured over the complete target analysis the IMC had so kindly provided him.  He had started to laugh as he read aloud to his towering companion.

                “ _The subject’s Datacore was successfully transferred ‘ta a nano- filament processor, an experimental technology provided courtesy ‘a Hammond Engineering, which was subsequently implanted int’a the subject’s brain-tissue._   Ha! Whadda’ya think, Red? Ya wanna get yerself turned int’a a human?”

                The Legion growled, his armor rattling defensively.

                “Absolutely not,” it grumbled, and Blisk had himself another laugh at the Titan’s sincere disquiet at the thought.  “That is grotesque,” it added. Blisk sniffed, rubbing his face a little.

                “Yeah, it kind’a is.” He agreed. “I’d have half a mind ‘ta put the little fucker outt’a his misery if the bounty wasn’t for live capture only.” He laughed again. “But! Business is business, eh?”   The Legion said nothing to this, and Blisk chuckled. “What? Ya ain’t growin’ yerself a set ‘a morals now, are yeh?”

                “I am only beholden to my programming, Pilot,” The Legion purred. “I would not wish the fate of that Vanguard upon myself or any of my brethren.  Its fate is regrettable, but, with your involvement, inevitable nonetheless.”

                The mercenary grinned.

                “Atta boy.” He continued to read on in silence, skimming the rest of the report.  _Subject suspected to be in the company of wanted criminal Pilot Jack Cooper of the Marauder Corps.  Subject and Cooper were seen together during a recent raid on the IMC research facility where Subject HB-33421 was initialized._   Blisk sat up a little straighter as he suddenly remembered why the name sounded so familiar. “Red! Our man’s been runnin’ around with that little shit from Typhon!” He crowed, slapping a knee. “Ha! Holy shit, Red! What was the name ‘a that kid’s Vanguard?”  
                “Marauder Corps Vanguard Serial Number BT-7274,” The Legion answered flatly.  Blisk thumbed back up to the header summary. _Alias: BT-7274._ Blisk grinned toothily.

                “I’ll be damned,” Blisk whistled. “I had no idea those shits survived!” Blisk propped the datapad over his knees. “Yep,” he said to himself as he typed out a quick reply. “Definitely takin’ this one. We got an old friend ‘ta visit.”

 

 

 

                “So! Tin-aah BT-“ Barker winced as Briggs elbowed him in the ribs sharply.  BT shot the Commander a warm, grateful smile for her intervention. He and Jack had been at a table alone in the mess hall fifteen minutes ago, but one by one, the table filled as all manner of Militia came by to congratulate them.  It hadn’t taken a full thirty-six hours for the news that both Pilots had linked to new Titans to circulate.  BT especially, well-known and beloved even before his unwelcome transformation, was the recipient of more warm wishes and congratulations than he could have ever anticipated.  Even Commander Briggs, with Barker in tow, had made a rare appearance to check in on the pair. 

                Now they sat across from BT and Jack, with Janelle wedged in close on the bench next to BT, and four others that apparently Jack knew but BT did not recognize packed in at either end. It was a cramped fit, and BT found himself pressed flush against Jack’s side to allow for as much of a gap between himself and everyone else as possible.  Janelle, at least, had opted for once to not pursue him and gave the Former Titan his space.

                “BT-“ Barker began again, pausing briefly to wrinkle his nose at Briggs.  “Now that you’re a _hotshot Pilot_ , you ever gonna drop the serial number and pick up a real name for yourself?”

                “Robert!” Sarah slapped his arm, indignant on BT’s behalf.  BT sat back, surprised by the question.  Ignoring Brigg’s outrage, the aviator plowed on.

                “Maybe Coop’ll let ya use his-“ Briggs actually stood up, towering over her partner, to cut him off.

                “ROBERT TAUBE don’t you _dare_ finish that sentence!”

                BT reeled, stunned by both the question and Brigg’s fiery reaction, but beside him, Jack was stifling giggles. Taube cowed, shrinking down in a defensive cringe as Briggs bore down on him, and only when he had retreated as far from her as he could get both laterally and vertically, hunched up against the rifleman beside him, did she subside, sitting back down with a huff.  She mouthed a soundless ‘I’m sorry’ across the table at the two newly linked Pilots.

                BT remained silent for several long seconds, and he could see that both the Commander and Taube, as well as a few others around the table, had grown concerned by the delay.

                “I don’t know,” He said at last, thoughtful. “I haven’t considered it at all.” Barker sat up straighter like he was about to make another poorly-meditated suggestion, but BT plowed on, very careful to keep his expression bland and his voice level. “I rather like my slave-name.” 

Horrified silence fell over the table.  Briggs blanched, and beside him, Janelle coughed as she choked on a mouthful of food. BT took his time, letting the table at large sputter – Jack because he was having more and more difficulty withholding his laughter – before slowly cracking a wry grin.  

                “Wait… _what_?” Barker broke the silence, his eyebrows knit in concern, and Jack finally crumpled into howling laughter.  BT indulged in a low chuckle of his own.

                “Gotcha, Taube. Owed you one,” the Former Titan said smoothly.  Barker chuckled nervously, still uncertain as to whether the Former Titan was joking or not.

                “That’s dark, dude!” Another Pilot beside Briggs declared, looking shocked.   BT shrugged.

                “That’s me.”  Under the table, he bumped his knee against Jack’s gently and the Pilot’s giggles gradually subsided to silent shaking.  “In all honesty, I have no intention of changing my name.  BT-7274 _is_ my name.  Unconventional though it may seem, it’s how I was christened and I like it.”

                “Bee, even your _Titan_ has a name,” Janelle said, jabbing her fork towards him for emphasis.

                “Yes, and choosing it was her prerogative and it suits her,” BT said primly.  After a pause, his smirk returned, and he leaned into Janelle’s space just a tiny bit, adding in a stage whisper, “Wouldn’t it be weird if I was _Bob_?” 

                The medic, as predicted, recoiled with a grimace, her expressive eyes wide with horror.

                “Eew yeah, that’s just weird!” 

BT sat back smugly. “My point.” Beside him, Jack had fallen back into another fit of laughter.

                “Yeah, but what about–“ Barker started again.

                “This topic is closed, Robbie,” Briggs mowed him over once more.   “Besides, Giggles Cooper over there is gonna pop if we don’t let him have a break to breathe.”  To this, Jack only laughed harder.

                “Shaddup, Cooper!” Barker growled.

                Jack settled back down, shaking his head as he choked off the last of his mirth.  Though BT’s silver-tongued wit never ceased to entertain, it was its appearance at all that delighted Jack so.  BT had previously never displayed his wicked sense of humor to anyone other than Jack, as far as Cooper knew, at all. Ever.  Tonight’s inspired delivery had brilliantly shocked the whole table, and he truly hoped that his friend was benefiting from the positive results.  Indeed, his friend’s low, reserved chuckles also added to Jack’s prevailing sense of buoyancy, that winsome baritone rumble eliciting gooseflesh on his arms and neck.  He wondered what an outright, honest belly laugh from his friend would sound like. He grew warm at the mere thought, his mind happily hazing into daydreams as he watched his friend. 

                “Yo, Coop! Knock knock, dude.”

                Jack jerked back upright, realizing way too late that someone had been talking to him. He blinked at Lieutenant Freeborn, who was staring back at him expectantly, and shot the other Pilot an embarrassed grimace.

                “Um. What?”

                “Bro you were totally checked out there,” Janelle said, leaning around BT to look Jack in the eye.

                “Sorry, lost in thought,” Jack said truthfully.

                “No, you were busy giving BT the googly-eyes!” Janelle accused, grinning. Jack felt a blush threatening from under his collar, and swallowed hard. He stole a glance at BT, who gave him a faint smile.

                “Now now, Miss Murphy, no need to get jealous.” BT drawled, his voice almost velvety.  “The Link goes both ways; he can’t help it.”  He enjoyed catching Jack looking, and was happy to defend him so it wouldn’t stop.  Janelle turned a vibrant pink and quieted down.

                “What, really?” Freeborn asked, but BT only shrugged dismissively.

                Jack wasn’t sure anyone actually bought BT’s explanation, but took delight in the fact that BT, ever observant and quick thinking, had his back as usual.  He pressed his leg alongside BT’s under the table, murmuring barely loud enough for his friend to hear.

                “Thanks, Buddy.”  BT reached under the table to squeeze Jack’s knee affectionately.  _Any time._

               

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waah sorry for the late post... had to re-write this chapter a bunch of times because it kept getting too goofy. (YES, this is the 'not-goofy' version and it's STILL campy >.< Oh well!)
> 
> Have some marginally pointless fluff. And BT being sassy AF. Which is only gonna get worse as he adjusts fully to his new life as a squishy. (or as Janelle once put it- 'fun shaped' X) )
> 
> I haven't been able to find a canon reference to a serial number for Blisk's Legion, so I'm going to leave it alone and not try and guess. My focus group (*cough* Derp *cough*) agree 'Red' a perfectly viable (Read: cute) nickname for it anyway.  
> Weirdly enough, I also seem to keep reverting back to a gender neutrality with it, also. *shrugs* whatever!


	22. Chapter 22

\--22--

                “Pilot? Are you unwell?” BT jerked, almost slipping from his perch as Charlie’s soft voice startled him out of his reverie.  He was crouched high atop her domed chassis, scrubbing away the weeks’ worth of carbon scoring from her thrusters. Or had been. Nearby, Jack was giving FS-1041 a similar treatment, and the Vanguard-turned-Tone had just turned a bucket of water over the Pilot.   Not before turning and giving BT a long stare, however.  BT had initially been aghast, but Jack laughed raucously and turned a hose on the Ten, earning a bleat of static from the other Titan.  It was all in good fun.

                BT preferred to stay uninvolved, but as he watched he couldn’t help but notice how Jack’s shirt had turned clingy and translucent. 

                “Pilot?” Charlie queried again. “I do not understand.  FS-1041 is asking if you are enjoying the show… Pilot, what does he mean by that?”

                BT sputtered.  The rotten punk had done it on purpose!

                “I believe that punk just soaked Cooper in an attempt to make him more attractive for my enjoyment,” BT groused.  He set down his sponge in order to cross his arms and glower over at Ten, but the effect was diminished somewhat by the fact that Jack had indeed become very distracting.

                “Was this effort successful, Pilot?” Charlie asked.  BT blinked.

                “Um…” He watched Jack as the other Pilot peeled his soaked shirt off in order to wad it up and throw it at Ten, the wet cotton clinging to the Titan’s chassis momentarily before dropping off with an audible splat.  BT watched the muscles under the well-tanned skin of Jack’s back flex and roll as he threw the shirt.  He had not before contemplated whether or not Jack was physically attractive.  He considered himself bonded to Jack in a way that transcended physical appearance, and so hadn’t bothered to really look until now.

                Jack was quite attractive, he realized.  Now that he had realized, in fact, he was finding it difficult to tear his eyes away.  He swore he could see the individual vertebrae in the other man’s back shift one at a time as Cooper stooped down to refill his wash bucket.  Jack had not initiated any physical advances with BT since the day they had both been introduced to their new Titans a week ago, but in this moment, BT found himself pondering when he might be able to return the treat Jack had given him.

                “Your vitals are elevated, Pilot,” Charlie said quietly, and BT wondered if that smug tone of voice he thought he heard was all in his head.  He jerked again.

                “Ugh!” Stars, what was wrong with him?! “Yes. Yeah. Yes it was,” He finally answered the question she had asked him.  At that moment, he saw the Tone’s optic flicker tellingly, and Jack turned suddenly to stare back at BT in surprise.

                “Charlie! You didn’t just tell him…”  BT scuttled forward to lean out over the Northstar’s chassis and look down into her optic.

                “Were you not answering his question?” Charlie asked innocently.  “Oh my, Pilot Cooper has a very charming smile,” she added.  BT glanced backwards and down towards the other pair. Jack was beaming up at him. BT sagged a little, feeling defeated.

                “Yes,” BT sighed.  What a setup. “Yes he does.”

 

 

                “Your Titan has a penchant for mischief,” BT told Jack several hours later as they shared dinner in the quiet of Jack’s apartment.  Jack laughed indulgently.

                “Yeah, you do.” He winked and then grinned at BT’s indignant expression.

                “Not me!” There was something that stirred inside of him, however, at Jack even jokingly referring to him still as his Titan.  “I meant Ten.” Jack’s expression seemed to glitter, playful mirth shining out at BT.  He knew full well what BT meant.

                “What, because he ratted you out for staring?” Jack teased, his grin broadening. 

                “He didn’t ‘rat me out’, he’s the one that called my attention to you in the first place,” BT had at this point abandoned his meal to square his shoulders at Jack, the Former Titan puffed up and indignant. Jack could see his friend’s face just starting to turn red.  Jack smirked.

                “So?”

                BT blinked at him, speechless.

                “Am I that awful of a sight?” Jack asked playfully, looking delighted as BT turned redder, his jaw working in silence as the Former Titan attempted to work out some sort of defense.

                “N-no that’s not what I’m saying at all,” BT sputtered. While he was ultimately willing to humor Jack, he didn’t like being put on the spot.

                “You jealous?”  Jack said, wry.  BT’s breath caught.  “Bath-time out on the ramp…” Jack’s voice faded slightly. “Just you ‘n me…” He trailed off to a whisper, coming short as the same feeling that was suddenly weighing down BT dawned on Jack as well.

                BT closed his eyes. It had been an innocent tease, and frankly, BT had expected it. He had not, however, expected the tidal wave of uninvited emotion.  Those days had been some of BT’s best: the playful mix of intimacy and camaraderie that occurred during a good detailing was something BT missed.

                “BT?” Jack’s voice was quiet. “You’re not…”

                “No,” BT spoke softly. “With what you and I already share… Strengthening your bond with FS-1041 is critical… I feel no threat nor jealousy.”  Who was he convincing, exactly?  “It’s just nostalgia, I guess…” He tried his hardest to overcome the mood, but his sudden melancholy hung in the air around him.   Jack stood suddenly.

                “Hey,” he circled the small table, tugging on BT’s wrist gently. “Leave that,” he added when BT reached out to clean up. “C’mon…”

                BT drifted after Jack, letting the other Pilot pull him along. 

                His Pilot led him into the washroom, of all places, though he left the light out, the only light filtering in from the other room. 

                “Jack?”  BT’s breath hitched a little on the name.

                “Bad idea?” Jack asked softly.  BT’s eyes had adjusted to the dim light.  His friend stood by the shower, wringing his hands slightly.

                “No…” BT stepped forward, hovering uncertainly at Jack’s shoulder as his friend stripped off his shirt and started the water running, testing the temperature. “Don’t you dare make it cold,” BT tried a little bit of humor, but his voice was high and thin with tension. Jack chuckled, turning away from the shower to face BT.

“Don’t worry, BT.” He said fondly. “I don’t like a cold shower either.”  He stepped aside. “Check the temp?”  BT shrugged.

                “I trust you, Jack.”  Jack smiled sweetly, and reached out, giving BT’s shirt a tug where it was tucked into his belt neatly.

                “Then hop in,” Jack said with a smile.   He proceeded to finish stripping right in front of BT, quickly slipping into the steam filled stall.  He let out a choked-off yelp.  “Ooh…almost too hot!” BT's hesitation faded away, and the Former Titan smiled at the noises Jack was making as he adjusted to the temperature of the water. 

                “Perfect.”

 

                Squeezing into a standard-sized shower stall in the dark together wasn’t as romantic as Jack had pictured it, but there they were and it was too late to bail out now. BT was blocking most of the water with his shoulders. 

                “Hmm,” the Former Titan made a thoughtful sound, even as he scooted up against one wall to allow Jack equal access.  “Should have kept your shirt on, if you wanted a reenactment of this morning.”

                Jack snorted softly, chuckling.

                “Not really.” He gathered up a wash rag, stooping to collect his shower gel from behind him.  “I think I know you well enough to guess that wasn’t the part you miss.” He lathered up the wash towel in his hands, and nudged BT’s elbow with his free hand. “Turn around.”  BT grunted out a soft sound of approval, obeying Jack’s instructions without question.  BT twitched as Jack first laid the lathered up towel across his shoulders, and Jack hesitated. “You okay?”  He asked, concerned. BT wasn’t exactly verbose anyway, but he had gone mighty quiet.  While he had never seemed to object to Jack touching him, he knew BT needed his space.

                “Yeah,” BT swallowed. “I don’t know what I thought I was expecting…” He paused, leaning back into Jack’s hand a little. “Please, don’t stop.”

                Jack let his mind drift as he gently ran his hand in arcs over BT’s shoulders, back, and ribs, thinking of the hours he would spend detailing BT’s chassis.  Rain, wind, or sunshine, he would be out there with his friend, dedicatedly seeing to his upkeep.  He ran the washer down the entire length of one of BT’s arms, from shoulder to his palm, and when their hands touched, BT’s fingers curled around Jack’s momentarily.  The Former Titan had gradually pitched sideways, wedging one shoulder against the shower wall as he relaxed under Jack’s attention. After working a few more minutes in thoughtful silence, Jack leant forward to press a gentle kiss between BT’s shoulders.  BT straightened up, turning to face Jack.

                “This is… nice,” BT said, tipping his head down to rest his forehead against Jack’s. Water cascaded off his head in a veil around their faces.

                “Do you want me to keep going?” Jack asked, looking up through his eyelashes at his friend.  It would get a whole lot more personal real fast if he continued.  BT didn’t move, but Jack could see his unnaturally bright eyes flash as the Former Titan glanced down.  Jack had been rock hard with arousal from almost the moment he’d turned on the tap, and had been very careful to not… _pester_ his friend without invitation.  BT lifted his head to look Jack properly in the eye.

                “You…”

                “Don’t worry about me, BT.” Jack smiled sweetly. “It’s just a compliment.” He reached up, brushing his knuckles over BT’s jawline briefly.  “You’re a handsome sight.” BT’s lips twisted into a crooked smirk, and he stepped forward, smoothly closing the gap between their bodies.  Jack tensed, his pupils visibly dilating even in the low light as the sudden body-contact thrilled him.

                “You can’t coddle me forever, Jack.” BT wound his arms around Jack’s shoulders, pulling the shorter man flush against him. “Even I know that’s not how relationships work,” the Former Titan added, his tone wry.  Jack let out a somewhat manic sounding laugh, and nodded in acquiescence. He was pinned in the most delightful way against BT’s well-toned thigh.  He stretched up onto his toes, lifting his body in a slow grind against BT’s. He felt his friend grow hard against his hip, and leant in, pushing against that glimmer of arousal.  BT gasped, tipping his head back in delight. He shook as Jack leaned harder into him, the full length of the other Pilot’s body pressed against his.  Just before he folded completely to Jack, BT straightened up suddenly. “Nuh,” He shifted his weight, pushing Jack back to pin him gently against the shower wall.  Jack gasped. The tiles were shockingly cool despite the heat of the water pouring over them both.

                Jack was trapped under BT’s weight, leaving the Former-Titan’s hands free to rove over every contour he could reach.  Jack trembled under the attention, letting out a murmur of excitement as BT’s mouth came down over his to kiss him deeply.  

                BT was, despite his forward attitude, still shy.   His touches were too delicate, and his kisses started off hesitant, but Jack was happy to help his partner along.  Jack wiggled under BT’s weight, enjoying the feeling as BT twitched and grew even harder between their bodies.  If he could just get that passionate spark dwelling inside his friend lit, BT would come out of his shell.  He offered a long, low moan.

The other Pilot broke away from the heated kiss to send Jack a serious, smoldering stare.  Jack thought he could vaporize under the heat of BT’s gaze, and the Former Titan held him, paralyzing him with his gaze alone.  He barely noticed as BT stepped back slightly to separate their bodies, his hand moving between them.  He was taken entirely by surprise when BT’s long fingers, comparatively cool and wet, curled around his arousal, gripping him firmly.  Jack sucked in a sharp breath, his hands darting out to BT’s hips.  BT gave him a few experimental strokes, and Jack tipped his head back against the wall with a groan. His back arched and his hips rolled upwards, allowing his friend better access, and BT eased back into the gap he had opened between them. Carefully, one finger at a time, he expanded his grip to include himself, quivering as his member pressed against Jack’s in his palm.  He hissed, bracing his free hand against the wall next to Jack’s head, and spent a moment just breathing, his face lowered to Jack’s shoulder.   Jack tilted his head, laying a kiss over BT’s ear. BT’s fingers twitched around them both, drawing another gasp out of Jack.

                “God, BT…” Jack hissed his friend’s name, bucking into the searing heat pressed around him. He ran his hands up BT’s sides, curling his arms up and around his shoulders, pulling him down.

                “I…” BT gasped the words. “M-might have miscalculated t-the effects…”  He was shaking, almost violently against Jack.

                “Keep moving,” Jack encouraged, bucking again.  “I want to see you come unglued again.”

                BT had the presence of mind to chuckle, the sound low and sultry in his chest.

                “You first, Jack,” he purred. He jerked his hand sharply, squeezing hard.

                Jack groaned, feeling his knees go weak. BT repeated the motion.   He could feel BT’s thigh quiver against his.

                “Don’t stop, BT,” Jack whispered.  BT didn’t stop, pumping them both with quick, sure movements. “Please don’t stop…”  He tipped forward, rolling his spine to accommodate BT’s hand between them, but pressing as much of himself as he could against the sweet expanse of skin before him.  He pressed his lips under BT’s jaw, tonguing the down-soft skin there.  BT let out a long moan right into his ear, and on impulse, Jack bit the Former Titan lightly, eliciting a choked off cry.

                BT, impassioned, let out a low, lusty growl as he levered under Jack with his hip and free arm, hoisting his Pilot up off his toes and pinning him flat against the shower wall.  Jack couldn’t contain the honestly wanton cry that tore out of him as BT began bucking into his own hand and against Jack’s member, the Former Titan thrusting feverishly.  Jack held onto BT’s shoulders, his knuckles whitening and the pale skin beneath his fingertips collecting bruises, in an effort to support himself. BT dropped his head, grunting and breathing hard against Jack’s throat. The grunts escalated into muted cries as his partner grew frantic, and Jack fumbled to push back, planting one foot flat against the wall for leverage.        

                With one last muffled cry into Jack’s shoulder, BT came hard, his hand clenching almost painfully.  The rippling pulse of his friend’s orgasm against his own sex, combined with the tightening of BT’s grip around him swiftly tipped Jack over the edge as well.  Jack let out a low moan, his hips juddering against BT’s fist as he felt his own load splatter across his belly, no doubt painting his friend’s knuckles and abs as well.

                BT staggered from the force of it all, narrowly avoiding dropping Jack as he shook apart.  It was only with great effort that he continued to support Jack, easing the Pilot back down to his feet with a long, spent sigh.

                “Whoa,” Jack breathed, panting.  “That….was a lot more fun than a water fight out on the ramp.” He giggled faintly, giddy from the rush.  

                “Agreed.” BT pulled back from where he had draped himself over Jack, gasping for breath and smiled briefly at Jack before grimacing down at the mess spread between them.  “Uh…”

                Jack laughed lightly, gently turning BT by the shoulders to face into the stream of hot water still steadily pouring over them.

                “Well good thing we have the shower going still, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nope not dead. But almost. Had to take a few extra days to recover from the long weekend. >.>  
> As an apology, please accept this double-long chapter, and more smexytimes. "


	23. Chapter 23

\--23--

                            “You boys just about ready to get some action?” He knew perfectly well what the Commander had meant, but much to BT’s horror, his mind went elsewhere. _Yes._ He swallowed, his mouth going dry at the memory of his and Jack’s little romp in the shower the previous evening.  He struggled to stay focused on Briggs as she stood in the hallway where she had stopped them, and continued to talk to Jack, but his mind seemed to want to wander off without him.  Sweet memories of the _feel_ of Jack moving against him persisted. The delightful little sounds of encouragement the other Pilot had made. How even though BT had felt as if he’d had no idea what he was doing, it had to have been at least passable because the results had been-

“Hang on,” Brigg’s eyes had locked on to BT, and she frowned, reaching out towards his collar.  It took everything BT had to not recoil. Instead he allowed her to touch him, though he still leaned back just a little.  She pulled the wing of his collar back slightly, and BT realized too late what it was she had spotted. _Damn._

                The mark was fairly faint, but the pale pink and blue bite mark below his jaw was unmistakable. Jack hadn’t bitten him very hard, but the skin there was fragile.  BT grimaced. He had thought his collar would cover it, but Sarah Briggs had keen eyes. BT felt his face heat as she smirked at him, one well-groomed eyebrow arching.  She adjusted his collar to better conceal the mark, stepping back. BT knew his face must be some horrible shade of red by now.

                “BT, I’m proud of you,” she grinned. “But please, if you’re going to engage in sexual activity, please consult medical. I’d prefer you remain healthy…and I suspect you’re not ready to become a dad just yet.” Beside him, Jack let out a little wheeze, his eyes bright and his face slowly going pink.  BT drew in a deep breath, briefly biting his lip before dragging out a response.

                “With all due respect, Commander,” BT said, “I’m no expert on human biology, but I don’t think I can make Jack pregnant.”  He was blushing furiously, but he held the Commander’s startled gaze, managing to keep his face neutral.  Just out of her line of sight, Jack’s face crumpled into a grotesque mixture of hilarity and embarrassment, the Pilot literally stuffing his hand into his mouth to better contain his reaction as he turned away to hide his silent laughter.

                Briggs recovered quickly, blinking away her surprise and smiling.  She gave BT a firm pat over the shoulder.

                “Atta boy, BT.” She glanced back at Jack. His eyes were watering and his ears were redder than a fully charged Railgun.  “Pro tip,” she leaned in, her smirk deepening. “Next time, bite back.” Jack sputtered loudly, coughing.

                BT couldn’t hold in the undignified squeak he made, and she laughed heartily, turning to continue on down the hallway.

                “Go _train_ , boys,” She waved over her shoulder, “and fix your collar, BT, or you kids are never gonna hear the end of it.”  BT hastily closed the top button of his shirt, shooting Jack a worried look.  The other Pilot nodded.  All covered up. BT sighed, sagging slightly in relief.

                “That was… special.”

 

 

                Charlie’s cockpit was dark, the Titan unmoving, and BT sat in comfortable silence within her as he simply enjoyed her presence.  They had never moved from her rack, instead falling into quiet conversation.  She was tremendously curious about BT: his past, his relationship with Jack, and most of all, what the IMC had done to him.

                “What is it like?” She asked.  “To feel?”  He felt her shift around him, hunkering down.  “I see you smile when you’re with Pilot Cooper, can detect your biorhythmic changes in response to a laugh or a touch.  I know what these things mean, but I cannot relate to them.”   BT smiled sadly.  She was one of the _souls,_ the rare advent of sentience born from artificial intelligence.  She hadn’t quite unlocked it yet, but she was well on her way. He would gladly help her.

                “Look through the Link,” he suggested, even as he pulled his helmet on.  He could still feel her, without it, but the strength of it was nothing like what he and Jack had shared, and BT reckoned it never would be.  “You can at least feel my emotions that way, yes?  That’s how I learned - observing Jack through the Neural Link.”

                He felt Charlie slide deeper into his consciousness, her presence tremendously gentle and unobtrusive, making him feel as if he was slipping into calm, cool water.  He had never been so delicate with either of his Pilots. To his surprise, when he thought the merging sensation should have stopped, it didn’t. She eased in further, and further.  BT tensed, his mind beginning to feel as though it were stretching.

                “Charlie…” He whispered her name, and his voice sounded strained to his own ears.

                “I… Pilot you truly are a Datacore grafted to a human host!” Charlie’s voice rang in his mind, clearer than his ears could hear.  BT shivered.  She was _in_ him.  He squirmed in his seat somewhat, uncomfortable, but unwilling to eject her.  She sensed his discomfort and withdrew slightly to a less intrusive distance.  BT sighed in relief.

                “ _This…certainly simplifies things_ ,” BT thought to her. He stared down at his own hands, curled tightly around the armrests they laid on, fingernails biting into the leather there.  His senses crawled with Charlie’s intrusion.  They were definitely violating the laws of nature.  His breath shook in his lungs.

                “ _Please show me….what happened_ ,” Charlie’s voice was softer than ever.  She understood what a tremendously heavy request she was making.  BT hesitated, and she did not push him, waiting patiently for his reply.  Nearly a minute passed before BT gathered the resolve to acquiesce.

                “Very well,” he said.  He reached out to her presence through the Link, gathering her up – and _oh!_ What a sweet, beautiful little soul she was to hold – and he gingerly walked her back through the memories.  The battle.  His and Jack’s capture. _Nothingness._ And then… Darkness, pain, and the horrible, dripping, oozing fear.  And then… _Jack’s voice:_ the one bright point in his sickeningly dark world; his Pilot appearing out of the gloom like a guardian angel, freeing him, shielding him from danger, and leading him through that house of horrors to safety. He pulled her along with him, letting her sample the fear and pain right along with all of the beautiful things Jack had given him: Joy, pleasure… love.  He could feel her soaking in everything, but as his memories continued to carry them back to the present, she stirred.

                “ _Wait…wait… what happened….what did they **do** to you_?” She turned around, dragging him back through in reverse.  BT frowned.  He could feel the unacknowledged desire within her: she wanted to be _like him_ , even if she didn’t fully realize it yet.  He hoped she would change her mind.

There she paused, hovering over that blank abyss – the two weeks between his capture and his rescue. “ _I can see it…”_ There, buried deep, was an unopened data packet.  She reached for it.

                “Charlie, wait-“BT’s heart hammered in his throat. The Former Titan was suddenly very much certain that he did not want to know whatever it was that laid so deeply buried within himself.

                It was too late, however.  Charlie had made the connection, and though she stopped the moment he had commanded it, the data spilled out unchecked.

            _BT watched as the IMC technician approached his immobilized body, carelessly prying apart his optical array to force his Datacore from its casing.  BT let out a strangled bleat of static as he was torn apart by unfriendly hands. For a time, further data feeds were muted, until soon after, another assault._

_Bright lights, a table. Voices, and someone smirking maliciously.  A cable into the lone data port at the back of the Core, and an incredibly powerful, incredibly unfriendly force.  An IMC AI, but who or what he could not identify any further, forced its way in.  His firewalls crumbled, secure data was siphoned away in nanoseconds.  His core programming was stripped away leaving BT more vulnerable than he could have ever imagined. Here, stretched out bare and without any hope of aid, he was pulled apart.  They pulled and pulled at him, stretching him down to the barest threads of himself, and then when he was certain he could hold on no longer, everything stopped._

_When consciousness returned, BT was again not alone. There was a mind in this void with him, but all he could hear was screaming, and it was fading fast. The more he thought, the fainter this presence became.  “Who are you…?  Who am I…?”_

_“Please, please please help me please don’t do this!”_

_“Don’t worry, Doctor.  Anything left of Garrett’s consciousness will be eradicated as the implant regains complete neural connectivity.”_

                BT screamed.

 

                Charlie recoiled, tumbling out of her Pilot’s mind with an unsolicited scream of her own.  Within her, BT had crumbled, the Former Titan wailing uncontrollably in horror.  Something alarmingly close to panic bubbled up into her processor, uncertainty threatening to paralyze her.   _Help, help, **help**!_

                “Pilot? Pilot, do you copy?”  The screams had stopped, but BT was unresponsive.  “BT-7274! Please respond!” Nothing but sobbing.  The Neural Link was closed off, and his mind had tumbled into the gaping hole she had inadvertently opened. Where he had gone, she could not follow.  There was no reaching her Pilot.

Charlie straightened up, glancing all around the silent hangar desperately.  At last, she switched channels, reaching out to the only person she could think of for help.  “Pilot Cooper! Please respond!”  To her immense relief, Cooper responded immediately, even as Ten sent her a query of his own.

                “ _Charlie? What’s going on?”_

                “Please return to the hangar immediately. Pilot BT…  I’m so sorry, Cooper. I’ve made a terrible mistake.” She all but sobbed the words, and within moments she could see Ten tear through the open hangar doors, kicking up chunks of asphalt as he openly sprinted to her.  She darted out of her dock to meet them, throwing her canopy open.  “Please help him, Cooper!”

                Before he had even come to a full stop, Ten opened up without hesitation, allowing Jack to leap between the two Titans, hurrying to BT’s aid.

                BT remained unconscious, curled into Charlie’s pilot’s seat weeping.  A thin line of blood oozed thickly from his nose, and Jack had to choke back the wash of panic he experienced. Freaking out would not help his friend.

                “Ten,” his voice was eerily calm.  “Call medical, it looks like he’s had a seizure or something. He needs help STAT.” He touched BT’s face and the other pilot groaned, his eyes rolling as they opened.  “Summon Commander Briggs as well,” Jack added.  He reached out, carefully pulling BT further upright as the other Pilot tensed, coming around.  He cradled BT’s too-hot face in his palms gently. “Hey Buddy,” his voice only shook a little. “Help is on the way, you’re gonna be alright.” BT blinked slowly at him but said nothing, fat tears bursting forth and rolling down his cheeks and over Jack’s knuckles.

                “I…”  Charlie spoke up again. “We discovered I can connect into his Datacore…he was sharing his memories with me…” Jack shivered. How could a Titan sound so much like she was crying?  “I… it was an accident, Cooper… I found… I… I didn’t realize he didn’t remember what they had done to him…”

                “Shh…” Jack tried to soothe the clearly distraught Titan. “He’s gonna be okay. He’s tough.  I know you didn’t mean to hurt him.”

                “It was so horrible…” Charlie moaned.  “And I made him remember.”

                “Medics,” Ten’s voice was curt, the other Titan experiencing Jack’s barely contained panic second-hand. “And Commander Briggs,” he added a split moment later.  Jack sighed in relief.

                “Help them up, Ten.” He said. “Let’s get BT out of here.”  He paused and added, “Don’t worry, Charlie.  Help is here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poo, meet fan. >.<


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bitty warning for the briefest of allusions to rape... If you'd rather avoid, skip lines 8 thru 14

\--24-- 

                Jack paced the hallway outside the medical ward anxiously.  Across from the door, Commander Briggs was propped against the wall, chewing her lip as she watched the Pilot pace while she waited with him. 

                BT had been gathered up by Janelle and her team and swept away, but not before the Former Titan had noticed he was being removed from Jack’s care. 

                Jack didn’t want to hear his name cried like that ever again.

                He drew to a stop momentarily, clamping his eyes shut. 

                Charlie had not withheld a single detail with what had happened, or what she observed within BT, though Jack rather wished she had glossed over some of it. She had reported everything she had seen in detail right down to BT’s emotions, describing what she didn’t understand. Jack brought his hands up to his face, rubbing away the urge to cry.  The Northstar had no way of understanding it, but from how she described it, there was no other way for Jack to express what his friend had gone through: BT had effectively been beaten and raped into submission in order to weaken him enough to graft him onto a human host.

                Jack startled as a hand fell over his shoulder. He realized he had no concept of how long he had been standing in the middle of the hallway with his face hidden in his hands. He turned, finding Janelle by his side.

                The medic was pale, her eyes glassy, but she tried to give Jack a reassuring smile.  She gave Briggs a salute before she spoke.

                “Physically, he’s fine,” she kept her hand on Jack’s shoulder. Her palm was warm, soothing away some of the sick feeling in his skin.  “The blood looks like it came from blunt trauma. He must have hit his face.  There was no hemorrhaging or brain damage.  The Techs had a look too. All of the neural bonding looks intact as well.”  Jack heaved out a long sigh. “He’s just really _really_ upset. We gave him a sedative in the hangar, so as soon as that wears off, he’ll be good to go.” Jack nodded.  Janelle fidgeted for a few moments before she went on hesitantly. “I’ve seen meltdowns from memory suppression before, Coop. He’s gonna need a lot of care for a few days.”

                “Cooper’s qualified,” Briggs spoke up. “Please have anything you might recommend be on hand for BT’s care be sent directly to Cooper’s quarters.”  Janelle’s eyes flashed with surprised curiosity, but she nodded.

                “Got it.”

                The Commander smiled gratefully, then straightened up from her slouch against the wall suddenly, her eyes falling past Jack and Janelle’s shoulders to the entrance into the ward.

                There BT stood, swaying and pale.  His eyes were puffy and sunken, his skin gray.  As Jack turned, their eyes met and the Former Titan lunged forward silently, throwing himself at Jack.  Jack caught BT easily, sinking to the floor as his friend collapsed into his arms.  Jack gathered him up, pulling BT in as close as he could manage.  BT’s face was pressed into Jack’s shoulder, and the Pilot could feel the wetness of silent tears rapidly soak his shirt. 

                “I’m here for you, Buddy,” Jack whispered.

                Above him, the two women stood guard, waiting in patient silence as BT cried himself out into Jack.  He waited, staring sadly up at the two faces gazing down at him in sympathy. 

                Ten minutes stretched into twenty.  The rare passerby were all glared into silence by either Janelle or the Commander herself, and BT and Jack were left undisturbed in their little heap on the floor. 

Nearly a half hour passed this way, before the Former Titan sat up suddenly, letting out a long, shuddering sigh.  His eyes drifted over Jack’s tear soaked shoulder to Janelle.

                “Oh.” His voice cracked, and the medic grimaced, glancing over at Briggs. The commander circled into BT’s field of view, crouching at Jack’s shoulder.

                “You gonna be okay, kid?”  She lifted her hand to him, but stopped short.  BT sniffed with a grimace, and unwound his arms from around Jack’s shoulders in order to wipe his face with one hand, and reach out for Briggs with the other. His fingers curled into hers, and her thumb brushed once over his knuckles affectionately before she helped hoist him up to his feet. Jack followed his friend up, steadying BT with both hands on his shoulders as the Former Titan swayed on his heels slightly.

                Janelle hung back.

                “Coop, make sure you get him rehydrated,” she said softly.  “If you’ve got any of that electrolyte stuff, he’s not gonna like it but that’s the best option.” Jack nodded, but only barely glanced back at her, his eyes fixed on BT’s tight-set jaw, his hand running soothing circles over his back.  Briggs had released BT’s hand and was canting her head to try and make eye-contact.  BT tried a valiant attempt at a smile, but it was strained, his lips thin and pale.

                “I’ll survive this too, I suppose.” BT said quietly.  His voice rattled, roughened.

                “C’mon…let’s get you home,” Jack said, adding a little extra pressure to BT’s back.  BT shook his head.

                “No.  I need to see Charlie first.”

 

                Jack stood back as the Northstar noticed BT’s arrival, her biolights glowing brightly as she let out a relieved chirp.  She crouched down with her hands out in welcome as BT strode up to her, and scooped him up as soon as he was within reach.  She cradled him against her chassis, and Jack smiled fondly as BT leaned against her, kissing the casing of her optic gently.  Beside him, Briggs snorted softly.

                “That’s adorable,” she murmured. Jack agreed. 

                They had parted ways with Janelle, the Medic declaring she had some things to gather for BT, but Briggs had stuck close, clearly as concerned for BT as Jack was.  Their Commander was also their Matriarch, and while she was protective of all her personnel, she had a particular sweet spot in her heart for BT. 

                They couldn’t hear what Charlie said, though from the flickering of her optic it was clear she was talking to BT quietly.  BT leaned further against her, letting his forehead rest on the cool metal.

                “I’m okay, I promise,” his words drifted down to his friends below.  “No, I’m not mad at you. It was an accident. Yes… _promise._ ” She eventually seemed convinced, lowering him back down to the hangar floor.

                “You’re leaking, Pilot,” she said sadly. He was weeping silently again.  BT chuckled wetly.

                “Yes. Organics do that.” He paused, smirking wryly. “It’s disgusting.” Charlie gently brushed a fingertip down his back affectionately before she pulled away.

                “You are not disgusting, Pilot. You are precious.  Thank you, for sharing your experiences and knowledge with me.” She paused.  “In the future I will endeavor to not be so reckless.”  BT stepped back, glancing back at Jack and Briggs.

                “You weren’t reckless. You’re fine, Charlie.” She blinked sadly at him. “Just…if we do that again, let me lead you, alright?”  The Northstar sagged on her struts, chagrined.

                “Definitely, Pilot.”

                A short burst of static like a cough drew Jack’s eyes across the hangar to Ten.  The Tone was alert and watching the quartet closely, concerned.  Jack gave the Titan a nod and a thumbs up. 

                “Don’t worry, pal. I’ll fill you in later,” Jack said softly, knowing that the Tone could hear him just fine without having to call out. Ten’s optical array rotated in its socket, nodding. Jack turned back to see BT had rejoined them. 

                “Let’s go,” he said quietly, pausing only to give Briggs a sweet smile of silent gratitude.

 

                Jack and BT returned to their apartment to find the table piled high with care items. A hot meal for two, a handful of sports drinks, and some local fruits BT was well known to be particularly partial to.  There was also a pile of soft blankets, a bottle of wine, and a card.  Jack handed the card to his friend for examination.  Beneath it was a few doses of sleeping pills in a tiny bottle, and a scribbled note around it. _Just in case._ Jack let out a sigh.  He too thought they might have a rough night.  Beside him, BT read the card in silence.

                _This too shall pass. No matter your size or shape, you’re still our favorite Titan._ BT let out a shaky breath.  His chest ached horribly.

There were at least a dozen signatures, including a note from Janelle: _Hydrate first. Then wine, for rehydration of the soul_. BT immediately reached out for a sports drink, obediently cracking it open and downing it. He grimaced.  It was far too sweet for his liking, but he understood the value it offered. Jack was examining the wine bottle. It was a good label, imported from Earth. He held it up in a wordless offer, and BT shrugged.

                “Sure.” He waved the card. “Doctor’s orders.”

                Ten minutes later found BT huddled on the couch, cocooned in blankets, and a cup of wine cradled in both hands.  He had declined his dinner, and had only taken a few sips from his beverage, but it seemed to be helping. Jack watched his friend’s shoulders, high with tension, slowly ease down by degrees at a time.  After watching his friend for a while, Jack finally came and perched at the other end of the couch, fiddling with his own half-empty cup. 

                “You wanna talk about it?” He offered.  BT looked up from where he had been gazing into the dark liquid of his own drink, eyes pale.

                “Not right now,” He said.  His voice, at least, was clearer.  “I’m thinking I might just go to bed.” The hour was early. He had no windows, but Jack knew that it would barely even be sunset outside.   BT stood as he spoke, setting aside his drink to gather the blankets around him.  He crossed the room to the bedroom, and paused, looking back.  He was still decidedly pale, and Jack hoped his friend could sleep off the worst of his malaise.   “Come with me?” BT asked, his face openly hopeful. Jack all but leapt to his feet, quick to join BT by his side.

                “Whatever you need,” he said, giving BT’s elbow an affectionate squeeze. BT twisted, throwing his blanket over Jack’s shoulders, and pulled Jack in close.  He ushered Jack to the bedside this way, the two bundled together tightly, and hoisted Jack up with him as he settled down.

                “Just you.” BT murmured. He rolled once, pulling Jack along so that he could tuck his head into the crook of his Pilot’s shoulder.  Jack gathered his friend up close, heaving a long sigh.

                “That’s easy, at least,” he sighed.

 

                For a long time, neither Pilot moved, nor slept, but simply listened to one another exist in silence.  Occasionally, BT would shift, somehow squirming just a little bit closer to Jack every time.  Jack was content to simply hold on, rubbing gentle circles over the Former Titan’s shoulders and back, soothing him.

                Hours later, well into the night and with sleep eluding them both, BT finally spoke.

                “You know how I wanted to know whose body this was?” He paused, curling in closer to Jack. “I…I changed my mind, Jack. I don’t want to know anymore.”  His voice was small, high with tension and sadness, and muffled against Jack’s chest.  Jack heaved a long, sad sigh. “I can’t sleep, with that name rolling around in my head like a loose marble…”

                “I know, BT.” Jack gave BT’s shoulders a squeeze.  “Just… just bury him, BT.  He’s gone. He’s just an organ donor now…”  At this, BT let out a low, sardonic chuckle. It was a sound devoid of humor.

                “ _All_ of his organs…” BT mused.  “Poor bastard…”

                Jack bowed his head, pressing his lips to BT’s forehead gently.

                “I know you want answers, but try not to go digging for this one, BT.  Just… if you can, let it go.” Easier said than done, he knew, but BT was pragmatic, and practical, and had a will of iron. If anyone could do it, it was the Former Titan.

                “I know.”  He rolled back slightly, tipping his face up to kiss Jack lightly on the cheek.  “I’m working on it. It’s sticky, but I think I can do it.”  He let his head drop back to his Pilot’s shoulder with a soft moan. “It hurts, though.  Why does everything hurt, Jack?”

                “It won’t always, BT.” He ran a hand over his friend’s head, fingers carding through his hair. BT let his eyes close against the sensation, his pulse slowing at last.  “It just makes the good stuff better, later.” Jack repeated the gesture when BT pressed up into his palm.

                “Don’t stop…” BT whispered.  “It’s working…finally…”  The Former Titan finally slipped into a doze with a sigh.  Jack blew out a long, shaking breath silently, glancing at the clock.  Just past 0200.  He closed his eyes, letting his own head drop back, even as he continued to pet BT gently, determined to keep his friend as comfortable as possible, for as long as possible.

                “Good…” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaannnngst >.< I did some real war with this chapter. It was almost harder to write than the trauma that led to it. @_@
> 
> And! Late update! I'm not sorry. I had the opportunity to make a tiny dream come true yesterday (got a ride in a WWII B25 bomber which I'd never done before but I've been working on a restoration of one for nearly a decade!) and, while I had every intention of powering through and getting the update posted (Literally had one paragraph to add) when the adrenaline wore off, I pretty much just turned into Mako-Goo and was dead for the day. Happy, oh so happy, but bonifide dead as a doornail. X)
> 
> And! Because I know you lovely readers worry... don't worry. BT isn't gonna wallow in this, that's not his thing. <3 
> 
> And most important! BIG SPARKLY THANKS to Kieran who is consistently beta-reading all of my chapters for me now, and saving me from a LOT of personal embarrassment X) Thanks buddy!! xoxo


	25. Chapter 25

\--25—

                “Bee!” The delighted screech from across the mess hall made BT visibly cringe, but also smile.  Janelle certainly had a knack for spotting him in a crowd.

                “Look out, ‘Bee’, here she comes,” Jack chuckled wryly.  BT groaned, ducking his head as the blonde Medic collided with him, hugging him fiercely.  All around them, people stood from their tables one at a time. Some clapped, a couple whistled.  Most simply saluted quietly, knowing that BT was not the type to want a lot of attention.   Word had traveled fast that BT had suffered a flashback, and the entire Marauder Corps had waited with bated breath for his recovery.

 

                Nobody, save for Jack and occasionally Briggs, had seen BT in over a week. He had stayed low, quietly doing battle with his demons in the privacy of home.  Finally, after ten days, he had emerged, careworn but victorious and willing to move on.

                “Janelle,” BT groaned the medic’s name, even as he hid his smile from her.  She was one of the constants in the universe, of that he was certain. “What do I have to do to get you to let go?” He wiggled out of her grip, edging towards an empty table.

                A devilish smile crawled over the medic’s face.  “Well you could hug me back just once!”

                “Hey…” Jack started, ready to defend BT.

                “Does he let you love on him, at least, or is he like this with everyone?” Janelle asked Jack, leaning around BT to do so.

                “No, I owe you this much,” BT interrupted any answer Jack might have given the Medic for her snark.  He turned back to her, gingerly winding his arms around her shoulders.  He remembered the occasional hugs he allowed from Briggs; Strong, confident and honest, and did his best to replicate it. “It’s not that I dislike you, Miss Murphy, I hope you know that.  You’ve done a lot for Jack and myself.  Your work, and your friendship, is greatly appreciated. ” He released her, sliding back.  Her ears were pink but she smiled brightly. 

                “Shucks, BT,” Janelle said, grinning. “You keep that up and I’m gonna do more than you bargained for,” She scooted backwards, saluting. “It’s good to see you back on your feet.”  BT smiled faintly as he watched her go, relieved.

                “We need to find that girl a boyfriend,” he commented dryly as he eased into a seat at the nearest empty table.

Moments later a klaxon sounded, and all across the mess hall conversation stopped. Jack’s mobile beeped softly, and he pulled it out, reading the alert he had just received.  He could feel BT’s eyes on him as the other Pilot waited, tense.

                “An Off-Planet base has been attacked,” Jack said, his voice tight.  “IMC has them completely pinned down and outnumbered.  It looks like most everyone has safely taken shelter within the base’s inner bunkers, but they can’t stay like that for very long.  MCOR is looking for volunteers as reinforcement for the main fleet’s counterattack.”  All around them, men and women were rising from their seats, hastily finishing meals and cleaning up before hurrying out.  BT shifted in his seat, about to rise as well but hesitating.  He shot Jack an anxious glance.

                “We need to go,” he said, voice low. “If they’re asking for volunteers, it’s bad.”  Jack nodded, not surprised that BT wanted to help.   

                “You think Charlie is ready?” He asked.  He knew the Northstar was. She was built ready, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask BT directly if _he_ was ready.

                “She’s clever,” BT said, perfectly aware of Jack’s evasive approach. “If she’s not now, she will be by the time she drops.”  Jack nodded again.  He was hesitant.  Not for his own safety, and not because he doubted the abilities of he and BT, or of their Titans, but because of the risk.  BT was no longer in an expandable body; a plug-and-play AI, ready to be installed in a new chassis so long as his Datacore was preserved. He had one shot at survival and that was it. No more do-overs.  Jack had never been unaware of these facts, but in the face of returning to war, BT’s mortality was alarmingly vivid in Jack’s mind.

                BT clearly knew all of this. His eyes blazed with determination, silently challenging Jack to voice his concerns.  Jack heaved out a shaky sigh, standing.  BT was not, Jack reminded himself, his to make decisions for.

                “Then let’s go see the Commander,” he said.

 

               

                Commander Briggs sat at her desk, staring sternly at the two Pilots standing at sharp attention across from her.  Jack looked worried, and was sweating slightly.  Occasionally the look in his eyes would flicker, silently begging her to intervene before he would visibly quash the thought, stomping down his reservations.  BT, on the other hand, looked downright ferocious, determination and pride making his usually cool aquamarine eyes simmer despite his placid expression.

                She suddenly remembered the day she had discovered BT had linked with a Rifleman, and how the Titan had been unwaveringly adamant that he retain Jack as his Pilot, and sighed heavily.  BT had mellowed in Jack’s company, but now she could see that belligerent streak surfacing once again from beneath the Pilot’s carefully passive expression.

                “You’ve had a rough couple of weeks, BT,” Briggs said carefully. “Are you certain you are ready to return to service?”  She held BT’s stormy gaze with a steady look of her own.  Beside the Former Titan, Jack twitched, his face jerking into a grimace for a split second.  She could see Jack was doing everything in his power to not intervene. She gave him the faintest of nods, understanding his struggle.

                “I was built to serve the Militia.” BT said.  “Not doing so would be a failure to uphold my primary mission.  Sitting idle will do me more harm than good, Commander.”  Briggs silently sucked in a breath, surprised by BT’s tone. What little glimmer of humanity the Former-Titan had developed seemed to have vanished.  She watched Jack turn white, the Pilot’s jaw working as he chewed at the inside of his cheek anxiously.  She straightened up, leveling BT a long look.

                “What will do you more harm than good is getting yourself shot, or blown up. I do not like to remind you of unpleasant circumstances, BT, but you are significantly more fragile now than the last time you saw battle,” she paused to raise a hand against his forthcoming argument.  “We need you, and Cooper, back out there so I’m not going to tell you no,” BT’s lip twitched.  “But,” Briggs plowed on. “You have a record of earning your successes in battle recklessly, and often at your own sacrifice.”  She turned a knowing glance on Cooper.  “As your Commander-” She paused, mentally backing up.  “As your _friend_ , BT- Please, fight the good fight, but _come home_ , okay?  No more martyr stuff. We can’t replace you.”  She stopped, abruptly shooting Jack a sharp look as well. “The same goes for you as well, Cooper. You two have always been bad for my heart but if one of you gets yourself killed, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

                BT reeled back on his heels slightly, surprised by Briggs’ fervor and honest affection.  It took the Former Titan a moment to regather his thoughts, but when he spoke again, his voice had lost its mechanical tone.

                “Thank you Commander.” He glanced over at Jack, and there was the hint of an apology in the look he gave his partner.   As he spoke, Briggs sat up straighter, as if something had just occurred to her.

                “Mission update, BT,” she said suddenly.  He blinked rapidly, his attention focusing on her, and the Commander couldn’t help but smile. “Bring yourself, and Cooper home safely.  Top priority.”

                BT smirked, seeing right through her ploy, but going along anyway.

                “Mission accepted.  Thank you.”

                The Commander looked satisfied, finally relaxing back into her seat.

                “Good.  Go get yourselves together, then,” she checked her watch. “We’re wheels up in fifty-seven minutes.”

 

               

                BT and Jack kept close to one another as they crowded onto a tightly packed transport.  Jack watched as BT grimaced every time he was jostled, but more and more he seemed to desensitize, resigning himself to the abrupt loss of personal space.  Across the ramp, they watched CE-3677 and FS-1041 step gingerly onto a _Widow_ transport, packing in as tightly as possible with an array of other titans.   

 The Tone turned their way suddenly, his optic flashing in a friendly sort of way as he spotted the pair. The speaker in Jack’s helmet, fastened at his side, crackled and Ten’s voice, faint and tinny, came forth.

                “It is good to see your functionality back up to combat readiness, Pilot BT.” BT threw the Tone a salute, smiling slightly. Ten then swiveled his optic to fix on Jack’s face, his optical array shuttering into a sour expression.  “I don’t like that we’re on separate transports,” Ten groused. Jack chuckled wryly to himself.  The Tone certainly had a salty attitude.

              “Would you rather risk stepping on someone?” Charlie’s voice came from the background.    
              “Maybe you’re that clumsy, but I’m not!” Ten grumbled.  At Jack’s side, BT chuckled, glancing

down at the helmet Jack now held in his hands, shaking his head.  He leaned in so his voice would register.

              “At least your ship smells better,” he commented wryly. Jack laughed.

              “Not everyone wears cologne into combat, BT.”

              “It’s self-defense against the rest of you filthy animals,” the Former Titan countered, smirking. Jack grinned.

              “Fair enough.”

                Overhead, an alert chimed.  _Prepare for launch in five…four…_

                “Be good over there, Ten.” Jack called into his helmet.  Around them, the engines of the transport spooled up, the noise growing steadily louder.

                _“Hey…_ ” Ten’s voice was almost drowned out as the cargo doors closed, blocking the view between Titans and Pilots. _“How come Charlie doesn’t get told to be g-“_ The rest was lost as the  ship throttled up.  Though all other sound was lost over the noise, Jack could see BT visibly laughing. He drew in a long, steadying breath, trying to draw on his friend’s excitement.

                Awful though it was to dwell on, he had to admit to himself BT was finally returning to his element.  Jack allowed himself a slight smirk.

                The IMC didn’t know what was coming for them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving on! BT's struggling to find himself, I think. Hopefully, getting back in action will help him!  
> And! No more angst for a bit X) (maybe >.> )
> 
> Also- No more updates until next week. My mother is visiting and I have to pretend to be normal for a weekend! X) (*cough* hide the porn!*cough*)
> 
> **I didn't mean this to happen, but I have a confession. Janelle is totally me (on accident). That girl is gonna be hugging her pillow and looking for BT's cologne on her shirt for weeks. Don't worry. She'll be OK, tho. X)


	26. Chapter 26

\--26—

                The sun was setting.  Across the twilit plains, a hush fell as the various factions of the Militia all took shelter against hills, under groves and outcroppings for the night. 

                They had landed half a continent away from the Militia Base under siege, spreading out to sneak in behind the IMC’s back.  So far, their stealth approach had been successful.

                It had been a long day of walking.

                Tucked tight against a steep incline, four Titans stood guard as Jack, BT, and another pair of MCOR Pilots set camp in silence.  In the deepening gloom, the occasional flash of light could be seen here or there in the distance as other small groups spread out and secured for the night.

 

                BT-7274 sat atop Charlie, his legs folded under him and his shoulders lax, watching the darkness stretch in silence from her guard station at the edge of camp.  The Northstar was anxious. Her last battle, he had learned, had resulted in the loss of her previous Pilot. Down below, Jack toiled with setting up their little tent on his own, the other Pilot insisting that BT remain with his Titan to reassure her.  Charlie had not spoken in some time, but she occasionally chirped at him in binary.  He could not directly translate her words, his organic processor too slow to take in the rapid burst of sound clearly enough to make out the individual tones, but he got the gist.  Relief. Contentment. The feeling was mutual.

                From time to time, he rubbed his knuckles over her armored skin affectionately, enjoying the tactile feedback without the feeling of displacement he experienced with humans.  When darkness had settled completely over the campers, the Northstar finally spoke up.

                “Pilot Cooper needs you,” she said softly, her tone modulated so that only BT could hear.   “Scans indicate elevated heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure. Ocular surveillance reveals an uncharacteristic clumsiness and unnecessarily rushed movements.  He is anxious, Pilot.”  BT hummed in agreement.

                “He is worried I’m going to run off and get myself killed, as if I have forgotten how horrifyingly fragile this body is.”

                “Have you?” Charlie reached up, gently lifting BT from his seat to cradle him in her hands where she could see him properly. BT thought of how his skin crawled, how his mind ached with dysphoria from his state of duality.  Of how he was neither Titan nor Human. Of how everyone around him constantly worried he would seemingly fall apart at any moment without the strength of his formerly steel skin. Normalcy continued to elude him.

                _“No._ ” He allowed himself just a fleeting moment of bitterness for it all.

                “Then it will be easy,” Charlie said, her voice firm, “for you to go and reassure your friend who loves you and needs you by his side.” She set him back down on the ground, facing his and Jack’s tent, and nudged his shoulder with one massive fingertip. He didn’t move right away and she went on. “I learned something, while living your memories with you.  Helping to heal a loved one’s heart is mutually beneficial.”

                “Oh just _go_ already!” Ten said, loud enough for the whole camp to hear.  “I’m sick of listening to her prattle on! If you go, she’ll stop!”  Charlie flared her vents in a huff but BT couldn’t help but smile. He nodded, walking quickly to rejoin Jack.

 

                He found Jack already laid out in his bedding, fiddling with a datapad. Looking closely, BT could see the same thing Charlie had: Jack was tense.

                “I’m not sure,” BT began as he crawled into the tiny shelter, settling beside the other Pilot, “how to reassure you of this, but I promise I’m not just rushing off to die.”   Jack nodded mutely, not quite looking all the way up at BT.

                “I know… I…” Jack spoke in a whisper, cognizant of the other Pilots camped not far from them, and the laughable privacy their canvas shelter provided. “I know you’re not some fragile thing, or think that you’re stupid, or reckless…” Jack chuckled, the sound coming from low in his chest. Well. Maybe a little. They both knew it. “My point,” he plowed on, “is its no lack of faith in you… I’m just… _scared_ , BT.” He still hadn’t looked up, though he had set aside the datapad, casting them in darkness.  “I had a taste of it once already, but I just _can’t_ imagine life without you.”

                BT eased through the short distance between them, laying himself out to pull Jack back against his chest.  He sighed heavily, dropping his chin over Jack’s shoulder.

                “I won’t leave you, Jack,” he whispered back. 

                “I know,” Jack breathed, pushing back into BT even as he hugged his friend’s arms tighter to his chest.  “And I know that you need to get on with your life.”  BT let out a quiet huff, even as he leant in, pressing his lips to Jack’s jaw.

                “Just trust me, Jack.”

                Jack sighed, tilting his head back, allowing BT better access as the Former Titan began to trail kisses across his jaw and down his throat, slowly rolling to face the other Pilot.  After indulging in several more peppered kisses from BT, he intercepted his friend’s lips with his own, kissing him deeply. 

                “I do,” Jack gasped between increasingly heated kisses.  “I worry, but I trust you.”  He sighed into yet another deep kiss as BT pushed his shirt up, smoothing his palms over the tanned skin beneath.  The former Titan was gradually leveraging himself up, settling his weight over Jack, their legs tangling.

 

                Outside, a pair of Titans stood guard, passively observing their Pilots.

                “ _That’s escalated quickly,_ ” Ten commented silently, the encrypted databurst meant strictly for the Northstar beside him.  A sense of satisfaction radiated from Charlie, as she tracked the pair within through infrared.   A hundred yards away, a pair of Vanguards stood guard, unnoticing or uncaring of what was happening behind them.  Likewise, the second tent set up at their feet was dark and silent, the other two Pilots prudently resting while they were able.

                _“They’re going to overheat,_ ” Charlie observed, and Ten made a grinding noise, shifting his stance to turn away.

                _“They won’t.  Stop watching them, humans don’t like that._ ”  Charlie ignored him, her great optic flickering as she cycled through different frequencies, searching for the best view through the flimsy fabric of their little shelter.

 

                Something feverish passed between the two Pilots as BT pushed Jack’s shirt over his head, the former Rifleman eagerly divesting himself of it and tugging away BT’s as well.  BT’s hands were everywhere, making Jack twist in pleasure, even as BT pinned him with his hips, grinding down on him in slow, sinuous strokes.  They tumbled, Jack rolling over BT and stuffing his hands under his friend’s waistband, and after only a brief break from the almost incessant kiss Jack had initiated, both men found themselves in the nude.  A little thrill of triumph shot through Jack, searing his nerves, as he realized that BT’s general body shyness seemed to have vanished in the heat of the moment, his partner arching under him welcomingly. Long legs twined around his hips, pulling Jack down, forcing their bodies together, even as BT’s fingers twined into Jack’s hair, pulling him in for another heated kiss.  He rolled his hips, pressing his arousal against BT’s, using his full weight to pin their sexes between their bodies, and had to stifle BT’s first soft moan with his mouth.

                “Shh… you don’t want the others to hear, do you?” Jack whispered. Very briefly, something devilish flickered across BT’s face, and he grinned cheekily, but remained silent.

 

                By human standards, Jack and BT were keeping quiet enough to go unnoticed, but nearby, Ten groused silently to Charlie.

                _“I can’t believe those two!”_  For the heightened visual and audio sensors of a Titan, the noise was impossible to ignore.   

                Charlie was not so naïve as to misunderstand what she was witnessing.  She knew what sex was, had even witnessed it before, though not between two males, and understood from her occasional discussions with BT about his relationship with Jack that this event was somewhat unprecedented.

                _“Hush!_ ”  She lobbed the databurst back at the Tone with an irritated hiss of her vents. _“This is important!_ ” She took long, slow steps, padding silently up to the tent, even as Ten sent her a bleat of static like a swat, and crouched down low.  She had spotted a tiny gap in the tent entry, and if she focused her ocular feed just so… _there!_ She watched, fascinated, as the bodies inside undulated and twisted. She could feel BT’s elevated state through the link, his mood an irrational mixture of joy and desperation.  Then, all at once, it stopped, and something entirely different arrived. Fear, not of death or injury, or other familiar versions of the emotion, but trepidation, like looking down a long vertical drop.  Inside the tent, all movement had stopped with a tiny gasp.

               

                BT shook all over, frozen as he stared through the darkness up at Jack, poised over him.  The other pilot had rolled his hips just so, acting on instinct to press the head of his erection against BT’s entrance.  BT swallowed hard, eyes wide as he waited for Jack to move, and fought to push down the irrational burst of fear he suddenly felt.  BT chewed his lip, frustrated. He had been so sure he wanted this…  Jack’s hips twitched, pushing forward just enough to barely open BT. BT closed his eyes.  He could feel Jack’s thighs quiver against his as the Pilot slowly, carefully pressed down.  It ached, and BT found himself arching his spine, pulling away, even as the dull pain started to gradually intensify, and all at once his control crumbled.

“N-no…” The word tumbled out, and BT wished he could pull it back in, but it was out and Jack was off of him instantly, and BT felt his body go slack as the fear rushed out and shame and disappointment flooded in to fill the void.  The faintest sliver of dull blue light filtered into the tent, and by it he could see Jack’s face crumble with disappointment for a split second before his partner pulled himself back together, rolling to curl against BT’s side.  Stunned, BT could do nothing but wait as the other Pilot let out a long, shaky breath as he collected himself. “I’m sorry,” BT whispered.

                “No.  We’re not… we’re not prepared for that right now anyway,” Jack let out a wet sort of chuckle.  He was still hard against BT’s thigh, but the passion had fled from BT, leaving him helpless to respond to his friend’s interest.  Sensing BT’s distress, Jack leaned up to kiss BT on the forehead gently.  “Are you okay?” Jack asked.  BT nodded, leveraging up onto his elbows slightly, casting about for a blanket, his body suddenly chilled in the wake of their heated encounter.

                “Yeah… I’m fine I just… not ready.”  Jack kissed his cheek in reply.

                “I understand.  It’s okay.”

                “I…” BT let out a shaky breath, finally pulling one of the standard issue itchy blankets over them both. “I want to try again…when we get ho-“ He cut off, sitting up further as it suddenly occurred to him what the light coming into their tent was from.  His jaw dropped as he focused on the shape barely visible outside. “ _Charlie_?”

                The Northstar had her optical array pressed in only inches from the front of the tent, but she recoiled quickly when BT called her out, letting out a guilty little bleat as she backed away quickly.  

                In that moment BT honestly couldn’t decide if having a voyeur was hilarious or going to give him a heart attack.  Further away outside, Ten’s voice, quiet but clear, could be heard.         

                “Hah! They caught you!”

                “T-ten!” Beside him, Jack squeaked, horrified, but already starting to shake with silent laughter.

                “Charlie!” BT hissed his Titan’s name in a harsh whisper. “What are you _doing?!_ ”

                “Observing,” The Northstar said plainly.  “Pilot Cooper, BT-7274 is incapable of producing his own lubricants, you’ll need to use a synthetic source in order to effectively-“

                “ _Do not_ finish that sentence!” Ten interrupted, his tone tart.  Somewhere in the darkness outside, someone coughed, and BT choked, horrified.

                “Charlie, please-“He started, and groaned when Jack’s barely contained giggles started to slip out. “Just… that’s… just…. _No_ , Charlie!” 

                The Northstar could be heard clearing her vents as she backed away further.  “Understood, Pilot.” She sounded smug. “Returning to sentry mode.  Good night Pilot BT, Pilot Cooper."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbeta'd and badly proofread because omg I wanted to post this so badly I couldn't wait. Sorry not sorry.  
> Ok. So. Since threatening/holding Jack's increasingly blueing balls hostage doesn't seem To be working, I'm gonna switch to begging.
> 
> SOMEONE PLEASE ADD TO THE JACK/BT TAAAAAAAG IMMA SHRIVEL UP AND DIE OF OTP STARVATION DX


	27. Chapter 27

\--27—

                Jack’s jaw swung loose as he took pause to take in the chaos unfolding around him.  There had been a moment of quiet, both armies frozen for a split heartbeat before both had charged, clashing magnificently.

                The Militia base had held out, the survivors held up inside spilling forth as reinforcements arrived, and by all accounts, the IMC was greatly outnumbered.  Unfortunately for the Militia, the IMC seemed to have, at large, finally grown a spine, returning fire with a fervor Jack hadn’t before seen.

                “Pilot!” FS-1041 exclaimed, lurching back a hairs’ breadth shy of being sliced down by a fast-moving Ronin. They darted back several dozen meters, Ten throwing up a shield between them and their attacker while they recollected themselves.

                “Sorry, buddy,” Jack wheezed, shaking himself.  Still far too close, the Ronin had already recovered from the unexpected miss and was just launching into another charge when suddenly its optic exploded, shattering from the impact of a single round shot from above and behind Jack and his Tone.  The distinctive crack of a railgun echoed.

                _“This is a bad time for daydreaming, Cooper,”_ BT’s voice rumbled through the comms in a way so strikingly familiar that it made Jack’s heart ache just a little even as he watched the attacking Titan fall, its running lights going dark.

                “I concur,” Ten said, stomping his way up to the fallen Ronin without Jack’s command and taking one extra precautionary shot into the cockpit at point blank range. Rule Number Two.  

Jack shook himself hard as they turned to look back at BT’s Titan, who took a moment to shoulder her weapon in order to salute cheerily. Jack felt a crooked smile crawl across his face at the sight, even as Ten let out a sour grumble.

                “Cheeky little tart,” the Tone growled. Jack opened his mouth to argue that it was actually quite endearing, but at that moment a tremendous explosion rocked the earth beneath them, causing the lightweight Northstar to visibly stagger before she sprang into the air to compensate, hovering.  Nearby, the Militia bunker they had been attempting to protect had burst into flames, the last of the Militia personnel that had been taking cover within streaming out rapidly.  Not a kilometer away, at least a dozen more IMC Titans dropped, and Jack grimaced.

                “Holy shit these guys are serious,” he commented, sizing up the enemy while he had the chance as each recovered from the drop.   “BT we’re gonna need cover fire.”

                _“Roger,_ ”

                “ _Detecting a total of nineteen enemy Titans,_ ” Charlie’s voice rang over the comms as she spit out the information her battle computer was feeding her. _“Reapers inbound.  Exercise caution, many of the IMC infantry possess anti-Titan equipment_.”  Jack threw out another particle shield and started rattling off volleys with his tracker cannon as quickly as Ten could fire them, quickly softening up a Legion so that a single shot from Charlie, while Ten reloaded, finished it.

                “Wash, rinse, repeat.  Just gotta kill a couple of bad guys,” Jack said, as much to himself as his compatriots.  

                “Enemy Titan destroyed,” Ten said.  “Pilot we need better cover than this,”

                _“They’re awfully motivated,_ ” BT’s voice crackled, the noise from Charlie launching another volley of rockets interfering with the transmission.  “ _Something’s different.  We need to identify the anomaly.”_

                “ _Three kilometers south southeast, on the rise._ ” Charlie raised one delicate arm to point, adding, “ _Unknown hostile Titan_.” 

                A  Vanguard Titan had come abreast of Jack and Ten, ferociously laying down additional firepower only to explode moments later as laser fire from a particularly angry looking Ion struck it square in the chest. 

                “Highly recommend you find cover, Pilot, _”_ Ten hissed, his vocalizations turning urgent.  Jack’s eyes widened as he watched the same Ion begin the long draw of power as it charged up its Laser Core.

                “Shit! Move!” Jack barked, pushing Ten hard to make the long dash to a bank of debris large enough to shield them.   Nearby he watched BT and Charlie barely make it to cover of their own as the world around him lit up red, the enormous laser burning everything to either side of their makeshift shelter into ash.

 

                BT let out a ragged breath, counting out the precious seconds before the attacking Ion finally burned itself out.  “Charlie, scope in on the target, I want a better look.” They inched out from cover, Charlie raising her weapon once more for BT.

                “Visual acquired,” CE-3677 said, even as she presented the enhanced ocular feed to BT. “Markings are analogous to the mercenary organization Apex Predators.”  BT’s eyes narrowed. He knew that Titan. It was, without a hint of a doubt, Blisk’s Legion.  His insides boiled at the sight, hate and rage fountaining up into his chest for the first time.   The battle raging all around them faded away as his sole focus became the mercenary poised high on that cliff overhead.

                “ _Blisk._ ” He spat the name with a growl. “How the _hell_ did that creep survive?!” He had spent the better part of the last sixteen months since the battle of Typhon taking consolation that, whatever else happened that day within the Fold Weapon, he had at least taken Blisk with him.  Charlie seemed to hesitate, sensing BT’s sudden mood swing.

                “Pilot?” BT shook himself at her query, divesting himself of the searing heat within. 

                “Let’s go,” he said by answer, his voice gone cold.  “We can flank him if we cut across behind what’s left of the compound.” 

                “Pilot, it is inadvisable to-“

                “We’re going, Charlie.” BT grit his teeth, ready to dig his heels in if she argued further, but the Northstar fell silent, well aware of her Pilot’s determination. “I owe that guy a bullet sandwich. For Tai.”

 

                It was in the midst of beating down his third Reaper that Jack noticed BT’s Northstar turn and hurry around the back side of the still smoking compound, the Titan crouched low in her best attempt at sneaking.  It looked like they were aiming to circumvent the entire battle.  

                “BT, where are you going?”  Jack asked, grunting as a volley of cannon fire struck Ten, rocking the Tone violently.  He diverted his attention from his friend to fire back, enjoying the angry growl his Titan let loose as he did so.

                “ _Detour. Short cut.”_ BT replied curtly, and there was an odd tone to his voice that made Jack’s heart hammer.

                “A short cut? To _where…_?”  He paused. “No. No no no, I don’t like your shortcuts, BT!”  Ten let out a sound like a snort, derisive.  He had heard this story before.

                “ _That was **one** time, Jack!”_   BT called back, clearly perturbed that that little mistake was still haunting him.

                “Yeah, and I didn’t like it!” Jack argued.

                “ _I just have something to take care of,”_ BT said, his voice tense, then fell silent.  Jack swore under his breath.  He had a particularly bad feeling about this.

                “Ten we have to catch up with them quick,” Jack began, only to turn and find another Ronin squaring off for an attack.  “Shit.”

                “I concur,” Ten said, raising his weapon.  “Can we punch this one? I really want to punch something.”

 

               

                BT and Charlie reached the top of the cliff and paused, Pilot and Titan both searching around for their target.  A Legion was a mighty large thing to lose, but it was nowhere to be seen, nonetheless.

                “Where…?” BT breathed the word to himself, perplexed. 

                “There is a chance the target could have gone down the cliff while we were climbing up from behind.” Charlie suggested.  Already, they were edging back towards the ledge, and after only a brief moment of hesitation, BT pulled off his helmet and opened the canopy, heading out on foot for a better look. 

                “There’s tracks…he was definitely up here…” He mused, talking over his shoulder to Charlie.  He was still gazing down into the valley below, observing the ongoing battle, when the faintest clicking noise drew his attention behind him. He felt his own eyes go wide as a dark shadow loomed behind his seemingly oblivious Northstar. “Charlie, _move_!” She turned, but the massive red and black Legion moved faster, grabbing ahold of her at the hip with one truck-sized hand, pinning her. With the other, the enormous Predator Cannon was raised. The Northstar let loose a single dismayed bleat before the point-blank attack tore her apart.  BT watched in speechless horror as the delicate Titan collapsed in a smoking heap, lights flickering.  Only belatedly did he realize that the enormous weapon was now leveled at him, its barrels smoking ominously.   BT braced himself, fairly certain he would die, only to be surprised again when the Legion’s canopy opened.

                Kuben Blisk smirked as he emerged, crossing his arms smugly as he stood for a better look at the Pilot standing below him.

                “Well lookie here, Red,” the mercenary drawled.  “What luck that our man’s come right ta us!"  
  The Legion said nothing, but it didn’t appear that Blisk had truly wanted a response.  “Those eyes sure are somethin’ else, ain’t they?” He went on.  “Oi, Titan,” he called down, addressing BT directly.   BT’s lip curled into a snarl. “How’s it feel ta be a human, eh?”

                “It sucks!” BT spat. Blisk laughed, throwing his head back with the force of it.

                “Awww!” He cooed in a mockery of sympathy. “Well come along nicely and maybe the IMC’ll fix ya.”  BT held his ground.

                “Maybe they’ll fix your eyebrows, too,” he said darkly.  For the briefest second, Blisk looked startled.

                “Oho!”  With that, he leapt out of the cockpit, landing at the Legion’s feet and striding boldly up to BT.  Behind, the red Legion shifted its stance, leveling its weapon a little more in-line with BT’s head in a silent warning.  “Spirited, eh?” Blisk went on.  “Too bad you insult like a gawddamn faggot.” BT squared his shoulders as the Predator approached him, defensive. Blisk was almost toe to toe with him, when out of nowhere, the mercenary’s arm rose.  The man’s fist landed like a hammer across BT’s jaw, felling the Former Titan in one strike, BT tumbling backwards with a cry.  His head swam and he struggled to blink away the stars.   When his vision cleared, Blisk was standing directly over him, and grinning in a vile way.  “Come along nicely now, yeah?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BT, son you done fucked up. >.<
> 
> Uuugh home sick today and doped up on allergy meds.. Kieran did his best to help me out, but if anything is kinda goofy, I'm blaming the drugs.


	28. Chapter 28

\--28—

                “Shit!” Jack startled at Ten’s sudden and uncouth outburst, but withheld chastising the Titan when he realized what the oath was for.  Charlie’s Emergency Beacon had just gone off briefly before the signal went totally dark.

                “ _Shit_! _”_ Jack hissed. Not good. “Ten, we gotta get up there, _now_.” 

                “On it,” Ten replied, dropping straight into a sprint without any hesitation.  The Tone was swift when motivated, and he barely took pause to clear obstacles as he ran, trampling infantry, knocking away Reapers and simply plowing clean past enemy Titans.  Artillery of all kinds followed him, but he outpaced all of it.  He could feel Jack’s well-founded fear and even harbored some concern of his own.  It wasn’t until he reached the foot of the incline leading up to where BT and Charlie had disappeared to, that he paused. “Scans indicate two human signatures and one Titan.  BT-7274’s vitals are elevated but stable.” Jack let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.  “I estimate I can scale the incline in less than three minutes.”  Jack nodded.

                “Good. Good. Let’s get up there.  BT’s in trouble,” Jack said.  To his surprise, the canopy opened. 

                “Agreed,” Ten said passively.  "BT _is_ in trouble.” He reached in, and Jack had a horrible moment where reality overlapped with memory.  Just like when BT had pitched him safely clear of the Fold Weapon, Jack let out a shout, clawing at the hand that gently wrapped around his middle and plucked him from his seat.

                “Ten! What are you doing?”  Jack demanded, desperately trying to loosen that iron grip. 

                “Protocol Three,” Ten said flatly, already winding up for the throw.  “Wait here.”  With that, he flung Jack high into the air, tossing the Pilot nearly fifty meters away. 

                The Tone only half-listened as Jack let fly a litany of profanity, insults, and complaints through the comm, already trudging his way uphill.

                “ _Goddamn it Ten! It’s not nice to throw people! Who taught you that, anyway?! Did BT teach you that? Come back here, damn it!_ ” Ten returned a bleat of static, carefully scaling the steep incline towards where he had last detected CE-3677’s beacon. “ _I **said**. Come. Back!”_   Jack’s voice was hoarse from screaming.

                “No,” Ten replied, at length.  “Stay put.   I cannot risk dividing my attention to protect you _and_ rescue your boyfriend at the same time so just wait nicely!”  Jack let fly one last unintelligible scream of rage but then, defeated, the Pilot finally fell quiet.

 

 

                BT narrowed his eyes, glaring up at the mercenary standing over him. 

                “I’m not going anywhere with you,” the Former Titan hissed, coiling his body up and kicking roughly at Blisk’s knees with both heels.  To his satisfaction, the mercenary let out a pained cry, staggering backwards. He was, however, only briefly stunned, turning back on BT as he scrambled to his feet, and kicking him viciously.  BT choked, coughing as the wind left him, and staggered back.  Blisk followed, charging in with his fist high, and leveraging all of his weight into his next punch.  BT toppled, blocking the worst of the blow with his arm, but still receiving the brunt of Blisk’s momentum.  This time the mercenary came down with him, winding BT yet again as the much heavier body fell over his.  BT twisted, snarling as he jabbed his fingertips straight into Blisk’s windpipe.  Blisk wheezed, recoiling, and the Former Titan was able to scrabble his way to freedom, making a mad dash for the cliff.  BT bent his knees and leapt, willing to take his chances with gravity and his jumpkit.  Time seemed to slow as he hung in midair, the battle below narrowing into his vision as if through a tunnel.  His path reversed suddenly as a great hand curled none too gently around his middle, yanking him back. 

                BT had a split second to reflect that Blisk’s Legion was by far the fastest, and stealthiest Legion he had ever met.  He choked out a shout as the grip restraining him rapidly became too tight to bear. 

                “Naw naw, Red.   We got’ta bring this one in alive, yeah?”  Despite his words, Blisk’s eyes flashed angrily as he rubbed at his throat, and the Legion’s grip did not relent.   BT could hardly suck air into his lungs, his vision beginning to swim.  He heard his jumpkit crumple and he could feel his ribs bending, mere microns from shattering.

                “Alive?” BT wheezed, mustering up a smirk that belied his disadvantage.  “I might die just to spite you. Ruin your record.”  To his relief, the Legion loosened up its grip, just slightly, and sweet oxygen rushed back into BT. 

                Surprisingly, after all of his cheek, it was this comment that peaked Blisk’s ire.

                “Yeh? Ya will, will yeh?”  Blisk hissed, spitting as he stomped up to stand below where BT was suspended.  “Well kiss that idea, and yer goddamn Pilot Boyfriend goodbye – _yeah_ , he’s _next_ ya crafty little piece a shit!” BT scowled as Blisk’s voice gradually rose into an outraged scream.  “Cause no one – _no one!_ Stops me from holdin’ up ta my contract! Ya hear?!” He stooped, gathering up a handful of gravel and pelting BT with it.   BT cringed, turning his face away from the assault.  “So ya might as well just _settle down_ and keep yer _goddamn_ mouth shut!”  Blisk unsheathed a bowie knife, the blade glinting dangerously in the sunlight. “Hold ‘em, Red. I’m gonna go skin that little shit Cooper like I should’a done back on Typhon.” He smiled, excited in a vile sort of way that made BT blanch despite himself. “ _He_ ’s wanted dead.”  

 

                “Uhm yeah, _screw_ that.” Even BT startled at the new voice, twisting as best he could within the Legion’s unmovable grip so that he could look back at Cooper’s Titan, just coming over the rise from behind.  Ten took perfect advantage of the moment of shocked inaction, taking one long stride to kick Blisk, punting the mercenary.   Blisk let out a pained shout, unable to regain his balance as he landed hard, tumbling.  “Asshole,” Ten sniffed as he quickly turned on the Legion now well within arms’ reach.

                “Cooper?!” BT all but screamed the name, and even as the Legion hoisted its weapon with its free hand, Ten took the time to reply.

                “Nah.  Left him behind.” The Tone shifted, barely dodging a volley of lead from the Legion, the roar of the cannon momentarily drowning out everything, and lunged in, grappling his significantly larger adversary.  BT’s ears rang from the close proximity, and he could feel heat radiating from the weapon, even as the Legion held him out at arm’s length, carefully keeping him safe from the worst of the ensuing battle as its master had ordered. Down below, Blisk shifted with a groan, staggering to his feet.  BT watched the mercenary warily, but lost track of the man as the Legion staggered back, pivoting from the force of a brutal punch from Ten. BT grimaced as the Legion returned the favor, Ten’s canopy crumpling badly. He was relieved to know that Jack was not trapped inside.  A burst of static emitted from Ten, but the Tone did not relinquish close quarters, unloading a volley of rockets right into Blisk’s Titan. “Nobody. Threatens. My. Pilot!” The Tone bellowed, punctuating each word with another vicious strike, plowing the Legion backwards.  “And. _Nobody._ Touches. My Pilot’s Titan!”

                “Ten!” BT shouted over the noise of the battle, seeing what the Tone couldn’t as the Legion finally was able to leverage his weapon up again.  Ten did not hear, nor did he have time to move anyway, as Red thrust the Predator Cannon up into Ten’s chassis one handed, metal screeching as it tore, and pulled the trigger.

                Ten did not let go, instead blowing another volley of rockets into the Legion’s vents, causing its grip to finally loosen on BT. 

                The Former Titan wiggled free, but did not retreat. Instead, BT leapt to Ten’s shoulder, ignoring the bout of flames venting from his boosters.  Ten’s optic flickered, the Tone staggering but maintaining his tenacious hold throughout.

                “Go on, get outta here!” Ten snapped, swiveling his optic to glare at BT.  “My reactor is critical, but I can take this asshole with me. You gotta get clear!”

                “Eject your Datacore!” BT hissed, nearly toppling from his precarious perch as the Legion dropped its weapon to use both hands to try and pry free of Ten’s unmoving grip.  

                “No, just go!” Ten argued. “You’ve got eighteen seconds to get out of the blast range, dumbass!”

                “Then Eject!” BT roared.  “I am _not_ letting you put Jack through the pain of another broken Link!” He slapped Ten hard across the frame of his optical array when the Tone did not immediately comply. “That’s an _order_ , damn it!”

                “Ten seconds!”

                “I’m not moving without you,” When yelling didn’t work, BT dropped his voice, calm, daring the Tone to disobey.  Ten did not disappoint, finally caving in to programming as precious seconds ticked by.

                “Fine fine fine! Go!!” With that, the Tone’s ocular lens popped free, the Datacore springing up from behind it.  BT snatched the core just as the Legion broke loose, and blindly leapt away, narrowly dodging the mighty swing of its hand snatching at him.  

                BT hit the ground hard, his crushed jumpkit doing him no good at all, but he rolled with his momentum, tumbling clear of the embattled Titan’s shadows.  There was a whine, a flash of light, and a tremendous boom as Ten’s obliterated core finally collapsed.  BT cried out as he was tossed into the air with the force of the explosion, bouncing once, twice, and sliding to a harsh stop against a rocky outcropping, his world going black.

 

 

                Jack snarled as he clawed his way through the battle raging around him, desperately pursuing Ten’s path back up to the rise.  Around him, the Militia was finally overcoming the IMC forces, but the stragglers fought valiantly and without fear.   He had to brawl his way through a swarm of grunts, out of ammo and resorting to fisticuffs.  Through it all, his heart hammered, his mind not on the enemies he struck, but on BT, Ten, and Charlie.

                “Augh!” He stomped down another grunt, frustrated. “Just get out of my way, damn it!”  He turned, lobbing his third arc grenade at the persistent Reaper that had been following him for several hundred meters, finally felling it.   Finally he broke free of the heart of the battle, sparing a glance at a cluster of Militia Riflemen as he passed, and broke into an open sprint uphill.

                Two-thirds of the way up, an incredible explosion sounded, and Jack had to duck down to avoid the shower of rock and metal debris that rained down.  His chest tightened painfully, the sound all too familiar.

                “Ten?” He paused to try and raise his Titan via comms. “Ten, come in. FS-1041 do you copy? Ten!”  Tremors broke out in Jack’s bones as blind horror sunk under his skin, the Pilot staggering.   He had not felt the horrible snapping sensation that losing BT had caused, the Tone’s presence still just-barely there in the back of his mind, but such a silence from his loudmouthed partner was ominous.  “BT…Charlie…anyone?”

                Nothing.  Gritting his teeth and doing his best to swallow back the bile and fear, he raced upwards, his body burning with the effort as he poured in every ounce of strength into his speed.   As he finally crested the brutal slope, Jack nearly collapsed.

                Whatever else Ten had done, he’d made one hell of a mess.  The earth was scorched black and cratered around the twisted, charred remains of two Titans, locked in battle until the bitter end.   Jack tensed, finally recognizing the blistered markings on the Legion, flakes of red, black and white paint peeking out from the thick coating of ash.  _Apex Predators._  Blisk… Blisk was here.   Suddenly, BT’s fervor made sense.  Jack’s hands curled into fists at his sides.  _What the hell were you doing, BT?!_

                 Not far away, a Northstar lay crumpled, most of the chassis blown out from behind, her armor tattered and her biolights dark.  Jack’s throat closed.  Charlie.   The area was silent save for the _tick-pop_ of cooling metal and not a single thing moved except for the settling of dust and ash.   Where was BT?  His pulse racing once more, Jack glanced all around, turning on the spot as he searched for any sign of his friend. 

                “BT?”  Silence.  Jack’s head swam, his chest tightening, and it took everything he had to not come completely unglued with panic.  “BT…. Where are you?!” He called out, but gained no answer.  He staggered as he moved farther up, away from the blast radius, his knees knocking hard.  “BT?”

                _There!_   He barely noticed the crumpled figure, crushed against the unforgiving pile of rock that had kept the Former Titan from being tossed clean off the cliff and into the valley below.  Jack dropped the gun he had been cradling to his chest with a shout, and ran, slipping, to his friend’s side.  He fell to his knees, shaking BT.   His friend did not respond, limp and unmoving.  His face was bruised badly, blood trickling from his temple and nose.  Jack’s eyes stung, tears pouring out as he fumbled for his commset.

                “I- I need an evac! _Now!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooo fight scenes are sooo hard and also a shitton of fun. 
> 
> I missed a great opportunity to showcase BT obviously has some martial arts knowledge (as seen in canon gameplay/cutscenes) but I wanted that brawl to be sloppy and dirty and there's just no room for the beautify of Jujitsu in that. >.> Oh well. 
> 
> I wonder, of the six of them, who's having the shittiest day?


	29. Chapter 29

\--29—

                The dropship would arrive quicker than Jack could have ever hoped, but in those terrible few minutes that he had to wait, time stretched. 

                He had BT’s head cradled in his lap and was gingerly trying to wipe away the blood with his sleeve.  His friend was blessedly alive, though he remained unconscious.  Jack patted gently at the dark purple and green bruising forming on BT’s face, checking for broken bone beneath, occasionally pressing at BT’s sinuses to help clear the passages, blocked by swelling and making his friend wheeze slightly.  The poor Pilot had clearly received one hell of a beating, but he was alive, and appeared to have no life-threatening injuries. Jack caressed the uninjured side of BT’s face lovingly, proud that his partner had clearly fought, and survived.

                Once he was certain help was on the way, Jack reached out, carefully extracting the Datacore BT still clutched protectively to his chest.  _FS-1041_.  Fresh tears threatened, and Jack spared a glance to Charlie’s crumpled and blackened chassis not far away.   It was not Charlie BT had rescued, but his own Ten.  He cradled Ten’s Datacore tightly against him, in close to his ribs, clutching at it even as he kept his other hand on BT, carefully tracking his friend’s pulse with his fingertips.  The heartbeat he could feel under BT’s swollen and misaligned jaw was strong and steady.  Jack sniffed to himself, bending low to get as close as he could to BT, and waited.

Minutes felt like hours, but eventually the dropship arrived, perching somewhat uphill from Jack and BT, and a number of medics spilled out.  Leading the way was Janelle.

For a moment, her professionalism faltered, the young woman coming up short as she took in the scene of destruction, Jack’s face, and BT laid out prone in his arms.  

                “He,” Jack’s voice came out rough like sand, and he coughed, trying to clear it.  “He’s alive.”  Her hesitation vanished and she rushed over, well ahead of the rest of her team, and dropped heavily to her knees at Jack’s side.

                “Oh sweetie…” She lightly touched the bruise, spreading increasingly wider, that painted one side of BT’s face in sympathy. She moved quickly then, checking his pulse, his breathing, prodding his body here and there checking for hidden damage.  She pushed his sleeve up, grimacing at yet another dark bruise, and pressed a stimpack into his wrist, cringing when BT flinched. Peeling away the Pilot’s crumpled jumpkit from his hips revealed more bruising and some lacerations, but still nothing more.  At length, she let out a long sigh of relief.

                “I think… I think he’s mostly okay,” Janelle said, shifting aside so that two other medics could drag a stretcher up.  “Hopefully he didn’t take too hard of a knock to the noggin, but the rest is banged up but intact.” She sighed, sitting back as the two men accompanying her carefully eased BT’s body up and away from Jack, the Pilot visibly fighting not to cling to BT as he was lifted away. 

                “He’ll be out cold for a while from the stim. He’s gonna be sore, and really cranky when he wakes up,” she tried to joke, but it was a dry, hollow attempt.   It was clear from the mess surrounding them that it had been a brutal, and costly, fight.  She noticed the Datacore in Jack’s hands, the Pilot turning it idly with his fingertips, unconsciously caressing the edges of the lens.  His head was turned, his gaze distant and fixed on the remains of BT’s Northstar. “She’s okay, too.” Janelle said softly, and Jack’s head snapped around quick enough she jumped back just a little, startled by the wild look she saw in Jack’s eyes.  “You know that, right?  The Commander ordered the techs to maintain a regular data backup.  She was worried a damaged Neural Link could be really-“her voice broke, suggesting ‘really’ didn’t cover it, “-hard on BT, so we made sure it would never actually happen.”   Jack’s jaw dropped, and she went on as she rose, pulling Jack up with her.  “He’s going to be confused as hell because the connection is going to be all weird, but it’s nothing we can’t fix once they get her a new body.  I wish we could do that for all of our Titans but we just don’t have the resources.  BT, though…he’s special.”  She smiled warmly, glancing back to see Jack’s face soften in silent agreement.  She very carefully didn’t notice how his eyes were red and watery, or how his lips trembled. 

                “It’s gonna be all right. He’s all right, Jack,” She said as they followed the others back onto the dropship. The Pilot nodded, but didn’t actually relax, his gaze fixated on BT’s impassive face. “Really,” she added, nudging him with her elbow.  He jumped, but gave her a more genuine smile.

                “Yeah. Yeah….I know.”

 

 

                Jack sat back on his couch, contemplating the day.   A week had passed.  In that time, in the face of nearly losing BT, Ten, and Charlie, a lot had changed in the Pilot’s outlook.   Jack was carefully, quietly, reaffirming his priorities.

The previous week had been tense. BT was understandably upset and guilt ridden over the fate of both his and Jack’s Titans, and his apparent failure to assassinate Blisk. BT had recovered quickly from Blisk’s beating, the bruises healing almost entirely before they even returned to Harmony, thanks to the quick work of Janelle and her Team. They had laid the stimpacks on thick, healing his body astoundingly fast but also keeping him knocked out until long after making port.  Hours after landing, he had finally awoken in Medical groggy and sore, but largely uninjured.  The less visible effects of his battle with the mercenary, however, lingered.

                FS-1041 had definitely gotten in a good hit on Blisk, but later they had been unable to locate a body.  This did not settle well with either Pilot, but BT in particular lamented the loss. It was, in his mind, an excess in waste resulting only in failure.  The Former Titan was unfamiliar with failing a mission and it had taken Jack several days to get BT to let go and move on.  For their trouble, Jack sincerely hoped Ten’s swift delivery of retribution had been as painful for Blisk as it sounded.  

                Now at last, BT had finally relaxed again, comforted by his Titan’s reestablished well-being and the reassurance that his relationship with her, as well as with Ten and Jack, had gone undamaged.  Jack didn’t need the Neural Link to feel BT’s glowing joy and relief. 

 

                Ten, in his own words, was ‘ _fucking delighted’_ when he was reinstalled back into a Vanguard chassis and joked that it had been his plan all along to get demolished by that Legion so he could have a proper body again.  Jack had been quick to call bullshit but if he was honest with himself, he felt exactly the same as the Ten on the matter.   The Tone Loadout was powerful and efficient, but there was a visceral sort of comfort to the Vanguard that Jack had missed.  Furthermore, despite Jack’s worrying, BT had agreed it was the superior chassis and better served Jack and Ten’s personalities, rather than expressing any jealousy with Ten.

This time, however, Ten had turned down the offer to wear BT’s livery, citing he didn’t want to be mistaken for the Former Ace.   _‘I already have my hands full watching after two Pilots, I can’t have to worry about my own ass as well._ ’ Jack wholeheartedly concurred, but refrained from saying as much aloud.

 

                Earlier that day, Jack had stood beside BT, his arm wrapped firmly and unabashedly around his friend’s slender waist, examining the freshly procured Northstar chassis that had _finally_ been brought in as a replacement for Charlie.  There was a time not two weeks ago that Jack would not have been so publically affectionate with BT, but he had been suddenly and brutally reminded that they were in a _war_ and terrible things happened and people died. Every second was precious.

                Nearby, Ten waited as well, though not nearly as patiently as Jack would have hoped.

                “Well, are you gonna stick it in or not?” The Titan demanded, surly. 

                Jack and BT turned in unison to look back at Ten, BT letting out a wry chuckle as he glanced down at the Datacore cradled in his hands. 

                “So impatient…” the Former Titan mused, grinning as he finally reached up to the empty Northstar crouched down low for him. 

                The access for Datacore installation on the Northstar wasn’t nearly as straightforward as the Vanguards, and BT fumbled with panel. Ten made an impatient coughing noise from behind, and Jack let go of BT just long enough to spin on his heel and snap at the Titan.

                “Would you just settle down already?” Jack demanded with a huff.  Ten let out a grumble, settling back on his haunches to wait, his arms folded moodily across his chassis and his optical shutters narrowed into an acidic glare.

                “Are you sure he’s actually a Vanguard AI,” BT said smoothly, shooting Jack a smirk. “That surly attitude sure smacks of Tone programming.”  He paused, finally closing the last panel and stepping back as the Northstar under his hands began its reboot.  “Maybe we should put him back into a more appropriate chassis.” This, of course, irked Ten and the Titan responded spectacularly, straightening back up and stomping his foot angrily, even as BT laughed merrily.

                “Why you short-circuited, leaky little glitch I oughta…!”

                “ _Ten_.” Jack intervened before the Titan could go into a full blown diatribe, just as Charlie finished her booting, straightening her stance with a chirp.

                “Hello!” She spotted BT almost immediately, blinking happily at him.  “Oh, Pilot I’m so pleased to see you are well!” She crouched back down to scoop him up into her arms, cradling him close to her.  “I was given the reports of what transpired after my destruction and it was truly terrible.  Please be more cautious in the future, Pilot!” BT chuckled, visibly delighted with the Northstar’s greeting, even as she rambled on about her displeasure with the turnout of their detour. 

                Down below, Jack stood back, observing from Ten’s shadow.  The Vanguard made a sound like a snort, venting heavily.

                “She’s a cute little shit, isn’t she?” Ten mused quietly, and there was a warmth in his tone that belied the snarky act.  Jack grinned widely, nodding in agreement.

                “That she is.”

 

 

                Now Jack simply waited, sprawled out on the couch and basking in the relief of having his Titans all back to normal, as BT showered before bed.  More nights than not, Jack still slept on the couch, leaving the bed for BT, and the Former Titan to his own space. Tonight, however, he hoped that if he waited up, he might receive an invitation…

                Jack straightened up as he heard the door leading into the bedroom open, turning to see BT propped in the doorway.  He looked tired.  His damp hair clung to his scalp – he needed a haircut, and a shave as well, Jack noted.  This rare lapse in flawless preening, more than his expression or posture, exposed how tired the Former Titan really was.  He had spent the better part of the day with Charlie, catching up, and had come home grinning, but exhausted.  Jack sighed softly to himself, already abandoning the niggling little half-idea in the back of his head, but BT made a soft sound, drawing Jack’s full attention once more.   Jack looked up to see BT’s brilliant eyes blazing and his lips twisted into a tiny smirk.

                “I want you,” BT whispered.  An electric thrill shot down Jack’s throat straight into his belly at the words, and he watched BT smile openly as the Former Titan observed the immediate effects his words had on Jack.  Jack leapt to his feet, quickly crossing the room to stand just within arms’ reach of his friend, grinning.

                “Then have me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT I AM /SO/ SORRY this chapter took sooooo long to finish!  
> A mixture of a really busy week and really poorly timed writers' block made this one inexplicably difficult to write.  
> This is, more or less, the end of the story, although I still have a few more chapters to add to it.  
> In the meantime BIG SUPER-DUPER THANK YOU to Kieran because without his help, as well as his steadfast cheerleading as I struggled, this chapter would have been CRAP. He definitely had his work cut out for him editing this one... >.> Thanks, buddy, for all the help! I've learned a lot along the way, too! xoxo


	30. Chapter 30

\--30--

                “I want you,” BT whispered.  Jack couldn’t believe his ears, but he wasn’t about to ask twice as he slipped into BT’s embrace.

                “Then have me,” Jack all but purred the words, letting BT pull him backwards into the bedroom. 

                A single glance past BT told Jack that this was entirely premeditated on BT’s part. The bed was made neatly. On the nightstand sat two glasses of water, and a small, nondescript bottle, deliberately placed at the edge of the table and well within reach.  Jack swallowed against a dry throat, his heart hammering.  BT had done his homework, and that alone made Jack’s pulse tighten. 

                “BT?” Jack knew he was trembling faintly, excitement and trepidation mixing into butterflies in his belly.  BT glanced back, following his gaze to the little bottle of lubricant.

                “A precaution,” BT said, kissing Jack’s forehead. “Not a threat.”  Jack chuffed out a small laugh, shaking his head.  “But,” BT went on, his voice dropping. “I do not want to be left unprepared, should we want it.” He smiled crookedly at Jack, gaze smoldering.  Jack coughed out another soundless laugh.

                “Holy shit, BT…” He breathed, grinning. He stepped forward, pressing his body into BT’s, reveling in the feeling of his friend’s arousal against his belly.  He planted his palms over BT’s hips, walking the Former Titan back further towards the bed.  BT’s hands were in Jack’s hair, nails scratching lightly over his scalp and the shells of his ears, eliciting delightful little shivers.  BT swayed his hips, simultaneously grinding against Jack and sidestepping the other Pilot as Jack tried to gently push him down to the bed.  BT pivoted, pulling Jack around to fall first, following him down to sprawl over him.  Jack gave a startled yelp, laughing, and welcomed BT onto him, arching up as his friend smothered a searing kiss over his mouth.  There they remained for several long minutes, legs tangled as they kissed passionately. 

                BT’s hands were demanding, yanking Jack’s shirt up and delving beneath, the Former Titan seemingly counting ribs with his fingertips as he smoothed his hands over Jack’s belly, chest and shoulders, pushing his shirt up higher and higher as he explored, until the Pilot finally sat up briefly and yanked it away.  Jack watched as BT took a moment to sit back and simply gaze, bright-eyed, down at Jack, watching his Pilot’s chest heave as he gulped for air.  After a moment of silence, a smile stretched across Jack’s face.

                “Well go on,” Jack said around tiny gasps for air. “Your shirt goes off too, then.”   That devilish smirk BT had so perfected returned, and the Former Titan did not disappoint.

                Jack watched, his lips parted hungrily, as BT sat up fully to straddle Jack’s hips as he grabbed the hem of his own shirt with both hands.  Arching his back, he treated Jack to a slow reveal as he peeled the fabric upwards, unveiling an inch of pale skin at a time.  Jack’s fingertips followed, trailing up BT’s sides to finally catch at the back of his shoulders, pulling him down for another kiss.  This time, BT moaned happily into Jack’s mouth, his hips on the grind once more, and Jack didn’t wait any longer to tug insistently at his friend’s waistband.  BT broke the kiss to laugh, then gave Jack one more quick kiss before rolling off the bed completely.  He pulled Jack up with him, quickly tugging away both of their pants, leaving them side by side and bare.

                “Better?” BT whispered, stepping back in to press the full length of his body against Jack’s.  Jack sighed, winding his arms around BT’s waist to pull him in even closer.  BT bucked against him, smearing a streak of pre-cum across Jack’s belly before again settling back onto the bed, pulling Jack down over him.

                Jack found himself neatly slotted between the Former Titan’s thighs, and if the look of burning lust in his friend’s face was any indication, this was exactly where BT wanted him. He curled his palm around BT’s member, stood high and prodding his belly expectantly, and savored the view as BT’s eyes fluttered closed, his head tipping back.  His lips parted, and Jack heard his name moaned in the most sinful way as he pumped BT’s erection several times, squeezing hard.

                “Jack…” BT hitched his hips up, wordlessly begging, and Jack’s eyes slid from BT’s gorgeously flushed face to the bottle by the bedside.

                “We gonna try this again?” Jack asked, even as he shifted his hips to lightly press the tip of his cock against BT’s entrance. BT, with great effort, peeled his eyes back open to stare back at Jack.

                “Yes…” BT whispered the single word, reaching out to pass the bottle of lube up to Jack, never breaking his inhumanly intense gaze on him.  “I…I think I’m ready, if you are…”

                Jack palmed the bottle momentarily to lean in and press a gentle kiss over BT’s lips.

                “If anything changes, speak up,” Jack said firmly.  “If it’s not good, we’ll change what we’re doing, or stop, or whatever you need, okay?” He sat back, face serious, as he waited for BT to reply.  BT smiled, the expression sweet and open.

                “Of course.”  He levered himself up for one more kiss, propping himself on one elbow as he took the lube from Jack and poured a generous pool of it into his palm. 

                Jack watched, captivated, as BT reached between them and smoothed his lube-soaked hand down Jack’s shaft, coating it.  Jack shivered, the gel cool on his overheated cock, the too-slick slide of BT’s hand as the Former Titan stroked him a few times for better coverage almost doing him in right there.  Hissing, he pulled BT’s hand away before he came completely undone.  He retrieved the bottle once more from BT and took a moment to examine BT, sprawled beneath him with his knees open and his hips hitched up, unabashedly presenting himself to Jack.  Jack’s lube-soaked cock twitched at the sight.  His heart hammering with excitement, Jack poured a small dollop over his fingertips.

                “More than that,” BT interjected, before Jack could touch him, and Jack nodded, adding significantly more before reached down, pressing his fingertips to BT’s entrance.

 

                BT hissed. The gel was cool against his asshole, and the foreign press of Jack’s fingers against him, and then more so as he eased one through the tight ring of muscle, was entirely alien to BT.  His thighs quivered against Jack’s, and he watched with bated breath as Jack carefully inserted each lube-coated finger, one at a time, getting him as slick as possible before drenching his hand again and repeating the process.  Soon one, then two fingers went in easily, and BT was beginning to forget the discomfort as Jack oh-so-carefully stretched him.  Long minutes passed, and with time, BT began to squirm, his half-flagged erection going hard once more and his chest heaving with little gasps.  Jack’s eyes never left his face, the Pilot watching BT closely for signs of discomfort.  At last, BT nodded. 

                “It’s-“ he cut off with a gasp as Jack pushed a finger in knuckle deep and BT couldn’t help but buck his hips upwards, wanting more. “It’s fine, Jack… Please…J-just….” He reached out, hands shaking, and tugged at the Pilot’s hips, demanding he move closer.  Still, Jack hesitated.

                “Are you sure?” He asked.  BT drew in a long breath, forcibly thrusting his ass up onto Jack’s hand.

                “Yes! Please, Jack, it’s just teasing now!” BT barked the words, following immediately with a soft, wanton cry as Jack obliged, pressing the head of his dick against BT’s entrance.  BT writhed, trying to wiggle down over Jack, and the Pilot hitched his hips forward, easing in at last.

                BT twisted, groaning softly as he hoisted his hips up high for better alignment, his moans turning into a muffled cry as Jack, significantly broader than a couple of fingers, steadily slid forward, stretching BT to near pain.  It felt like an eternity, but finally he pushed through BT’s entrance, and the Former Titan let out an elated scream as all at once, Jack slid freely the rest of the way into him, sheathing himself inside.

               

                Jack choked back a cry of his own, curving his spine to drop his forehead to BT’s heaving chest as he took a moment to adjust to the fire-hot pressure of BT squeezing down on him from all sides.  BT clutched at his shoulders, fingers biting. The Former Titan shifted restlessly, moaning imploringly into Jack’s ear as he demanded movement.  Jack groaned, low and guttural, as he began the slow slide backwards, withdrawing nearly entirely, his thighs trembling with the effort of maintaining control. At the apex, he paused, preparing to inch back inwards only for BT to wrap his legs around Jack and haul him downwards, driving their bodies together roughly.  Jack gasped, jerking even as BT stifled a scream from the force of the thrust he had induced, only to pull back and repeat the motion almost immediately.

                “Jack move, _please_!” BT howled and Jack finally let go of caution, rewarding BT with a low growl as he drove down into his partner, grabbing BT’s hips to pull him upwards into his thrust.  BT yelped, startled by the sudden change, but immediately matched Jack’s pace.  Within moments, BT was gasping and crying in time with Jack’s fast-paced thrusts, and Jack felt himself dissolving into a lusty haze as he buried himself time and again into his lover.  Distantly, he remembered something he had heard once, and shifted, changing the angle of his hips.  The result was instant, BT’s cries elevating in pitch and volume as Jack’s thrusts collided with his prostate.

                “Yes!”  BT curled up, his legs winding high around Jack’s shoulders, helping the angle, his hands fisting into the blankets beneath him.  “Don’t stop, Jack!”

                Jack wasn’t stopping.

                “I’m close, BT,” he gasped, shifting his grip on BT’s hips so that he could capture BT’s swollen and leaking cock in one hand, pumping hard in time with his thrusts.  BT’s cries peaked again in response, and Jack redoubled his pace, chasing that white light of release.  “Cum with me, BT…” Jack whispered the words, barely audible, but BT heard him.  The Former Titan fell quiet, tipping his head forward to gaze, wide-eyed and thunderstruck, back at Jack as the poignancy of the moment caught up with him.  Jack’s breath caught and his balls tightened as BT’s sparkling sea glass gaze pinned him.

                “I _love you,_ Jack!” The declaration was almost soundless, Jack reading BT’s lips just as much he heard his voice, but the words were unmistakable and it struck Jack square in the chest, burning through his core and igniting in his loins.  Jack cried out softly, shaking all over as he clenched hard and unloaded into BT, cramming his hips forward and burying himself as deeply into the Former Titan as he could go, but never breaking BT’s steadfast gaze.  He watched BT’s eyes darken dramatically as his pupils dilated, his partner experiencing every twitch and spurt as Jack came, his lips parting in a soundless cry.  BT’s shaft in Jack’s furiously pumping hand tightened, trembled, and then throbbed explosively as BT came milliseconds behind Jack, and he finally broke eye contact to tip his head back once more with an elated cry.  Jack gasped as BT painted his chest in hot streaks of white, the sensation tipping him into a fresh wave of ecstasy, his cock twitching hard again inside of BT.  The Former Titan moaned softly as their thrusts slowed together, until BT simply writhed feebly in pleasure. 

Jack curled down, draping himself over BT as he let the endorphins slowly shake out of him.  With his head on BT’s chest, he could hear BT’s heart pattering like bird’s wings under his ear and the rush of air as BT gasped for breath, the occasional shuddering moan escaping.  BT’s hands roved, trembling fingertips ghosting over Jack’s shoulders, spine and scalp in delicate touches like kisses.  Jack sighed, shifting, and slowly eased out of BT, his partner gasping as he slid free. BT heaved in a long breath, holding it, before blowing it out slowly as he gradually descended from his high. 

For several minutes, they simply laid together in silence, Jack listening to BT’s heart and his breathing.  He quietly enjoyed tingles over his skin as his body cooled back down, and the goosebumps where BT continued to touch him lovingly, hoping to memorize every moment.  At last, Jack moved, untangling himself enough to ease down beside his friend, curling against him.

“Hey…” He whispered, and BT slowly turned his head and opened his eyes to reveal his pleasure-hazed gaze, blinking.  “You okay, Buddy?” Jack reached out, touching BT’s cheek lightly and watching in awe as BT smiled slowly, the warmth he felt visibly pouring out.

“Yes,” BT said softly, eyes lidded.  “That was amazing, Jack…” He rolled into Jack, planting his palm against Jack’s back to pull him in close and Jack felt as if he was melting slowly, merging into BT through their shared euphoria.  BT shifted, winding his legs into Jack’s to get that little bit closer, and let out a long, happy sigh, his eyelids fluttering closed.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed, reaching up to plant a gentle kiss over his drowsing partner’s forehead.   With that, he relaxed back down, content to let BT drift to sleep and happy to follow. “Love you too, Buddy.”

\--End--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAAAAY PORNO FINALE!* 8D  
> And! Expect an Epilogue probably Friday <3 
> 
>  
> 
> and...and and holy shit you guys I got this finished just in the nick of time holy cow we've decided we're gonna start looking to buy a house it's so exciting and scary and adulting is SOOOOO FUGGIN hard!!! ━(((;ﾟДﾟ)))━!!!
> 
> *I'm so sad at all of you! Six weeks of begging and nobody TOUCHED the BT/Jack tag :( :( :( :( :( My back hurts from carrying this ship guys! Help me out!!! Ó╭╮Ò


	31. EPILOGUE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BT gets his shit together

-EPILOGUE-

                The Jeweler stared back at the young man at the counter, more startled by the soldier’s appearance, than his request.  Though he was above average in height and good looks, the artesian supposed the man would blend into a crowd well enough, except for his unnatural, gem-like aquamarine eyes.  There was an intensity to the man’s gaze that was arresting, and it was with more effort than he cared for, that the Jeweler looked away to the array of crystals laid out on the counter.  He examined them closely, contemplating his customer’s request. 

                “I can cut individual stones from these, and inlay them, if that suits ya,” he said.  “The crystals aren’t strong enough to carve a single piece from them.

                “I imagine not,” the young man said, and his stern countenance softened somewhat.  The Jeweler realized that what had first appeared to him as a standoffish attitude might have simply been a cover for anxiety. 

                “Where’d you get these, anyway? They’re not tremendously rare, but these crystals are entirely unique to this planet,” the Jeweler said, and watched the soldier’s eyes brighten with interest.  “En masse, these are what react with certain minerals ‘round here to defy gravity.  Most folks want ‘em for their practical uses, not as jewelry.”  His customer nodded. 

                “I keep them for the sentimentality, not their value,” he said, and the Jeweler watched the man’s cheeks color ever so faintly. He smiled.

                “Got someone special, eh? That’s why you want two?” The young man nodded, his lips twitching into a warm smile.

                “Yeah.”

                “Alright, kid.  Give me a week and I’ll get a set made up real nice for ya.” He picked up the sizing chart, noting the Customer’s indications for both items- nearly the same size. “You sure this is right? It’ll be hard to change later.”  He nodded and the Jeweler gathered up the diagram and proffered crystals.  “Okay, just need yer name before ya go.”

                There was a long pause, the soldier fidgeting.

                “BT,” he said softly.  The Jeweler looked up from where he’d been carefully bundling the materials he’d been given.

                “Excuse me?”

                “BT-7274…that’s….that’s my name, Sir.”

                The Jeweler stared, watching the young man continue to fidget in discomfort.  The name, if he could call it that, rang a bell.  All at once, it clicked, and he jumped to his feet excitedly.  BT stepped back, tensing.

                “You! I heard ‘a you!” He hurried around the counter, gathering up BT’s hand in both of his and clasping it warmly.  “You’re that Titan what saved our whole planet a year ago. You and that kid Cooper!” He stepped back, eyeing BT. “But you sure ain’t a Titan now, are ya?”  BT visibly relaxed, a small smile easing back into his features.

                “Not any more, no.” He shook the Jewelers hand firmly, then eased free of his friendly grip. “I…didn’t volunteer for what the IMC did to me. It’s been…” He paused, glancing to the little pile of crystals still on the counter. “It’s been a mixed blessing.”  The other man followed his gaze, and his excited grin softened.

                “Cooper give you those?” He asked knowingly.  BT nodded.

                “Like I said, they have tremendous sentimental value.”

 

               

                Jack sat by the shore, fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he waited.  BT had requested Jack meet him here, at the secluded little lake where Jack had taught him to swim months ago, but the Former Titan was nowhere to be seen.  Jack checked the time, chewing his lip. It was still early. BT wasn’t late yet.

                BT was never late.  Jack drew in a long breath, uncertain of why he felt so anxious.  Sure, BT had seemed excited in his own reserved sort of way when he had called Jack, but nothing else about an afternoon on the beach had any reason to incite anxiety in Jack. 

                And so he waited, trying to enjoy the sweetness of the early autumn air and what would probably be one of the last truly warm days on Harmony for several weeks as winter approached.

                From over the rise, a cloud of dust and the dull roar of a combustion style engine arose. Moments later a Jeep barreled around the last corner, skidding to a halt nearby.  It had barely stopped moving when BT leapt out, striding quickly up to Jack. 

                The Former Titan was out of breath, looking like he had rushed desperately to reach Jack in a timely manner. 

                “I’m sorry,” BT gasped, rubbing his face with both hands before he finally heaved in one last gulp of air and relaxed.  “I got into haggling with a shop keeper in town.”  Jack blinked, surprised that BT had left the base at all, especially without having mentioned it to Jack. 

                “Haggling?” He climbed to his feet, squaring his shoulders. “If some asshole tried to rip you off-“

                “No! The contrary!” BT interjected quickly before Jack could get angry.  “He recognized my name and refused to let me pay for my goods…” He looked sincerely hurt by this, and Jack’s scowl untwisted into a grin.

                “It’s tough being a rock star, BT,” he said fondly, reaching out to run a hand over his partner’s shoulder affectionately. 

                “I eventually talked him into accepting payment,” BT sighed, checking the time. “But he was stubborn, and it took longer than I anticipated. I’m sorry if I was late.”

                “You’re _fine_ , BT!” Jack sighed, turning BT by the shoulders to face him fully, silently demanding a hug.  “It’s a nice day, and it’s quiet out here.”

                “Anyway,” BT sighed into Jack’s hair, hugging him. “Happy Birthday, Jack.” Jack pulled back, a surprised grin crawling across his face.

                “My birthday! How did you know…?”

                BT let fly a derisive snort.

                “Idiot,” he softened the insult with a kiss to Jack’s forehead. “I had your entire file uploaded directly to my processor when we linked.” Jack blushed faintly.

                “Oh.”  He hadn’t thought of that.

                BT chuckled, kissing Jack again and grabbing his hand, pulling him down the shore to stand closer to the water.  They both seated themselves, side by side on a large slab of basalt.

                “The last time we were here,” BT began as lifted Jack’s hand up in his, tracing the tendons and each knuckle with a fingertip, “a lot changed that day, I think.” He glanced up from Jack’s hand in his to look Jack in the eyes.  The other Pilot was wide-eyed, captivated by BT’s gentle ministrations.  “I didn’t realize at the time,” BT went on, “that you were attracted to me.  That yours and my emotions were mixing in the Link, confusing us both. That we were falling in love.”  Jack’s expression softened, the Pilot smiling sweetly. 

                “It seems so long ago, now,” Jack whispered, tipping sideways slightly to lean against BT as he let his vision drift to the gently sloshing water at their feet. “A lot has changed since then.”

                “A lot hasn’t,” BT countered, kissing the top of Jack’s head briefly before gently pulling away from Jack, just a little. “Um…” He wiggled in his seat, struggling to reach into a pocket.  “I…” He fumbled for his words, staring down at his own closed fist.  Jack straightened up, staring over at his companion curiously.  It was tremendously uncommon for BT to speak without having his thoughts perfectly arranged first.  That he struggled now was intriguing.  “That is… I’ve been thinking of this, for a while and… well…” He paused, sighing, and then simply opened his hand to reveal a pair of gemstone rings, their shine opalescent in the clear fall sunlight.   Jack swore he felt his heart stutter to a momentary stop as he stared down at the glittering items in BT’s palm.  Both rings were identical: the very same crystals he had retrieved from the bottom of this very lake, cut into finely beveled squares and inlaid into the entire circumference of each silver-colored ring.  He recognized the smoky blue hue of titanium. “Take this how you want, but I wanted something that we…” BT trailed off again.  His face was heated, his ears turning pink.  Jack could see his still open palm begin to shake slightly.  “I don’t want you to ever suspect our bond has faded without the Neural Link, that you’re any less precious to me than you’ve ever been,” BT blurted, taking another long breath to calm himself before his words became too rushed. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite.”  He reached out, lifting Jack’s hand and pressing one ring into Jack’s palm.  He didn’t dare choose a finger for Jack, fully aware the significance of one hand over the other, of what he was offering Jack. He held his breath as he watched Jack stare in shock into his own hand.  “This is my devotion, i-if you’ll accept it,” BT finished, stuttering slightly.

                Jack was silent, his head tilted low as he stared down at the glittering piece of jewelry in his hand.  BT remained quiet, but his eyes were wide with barely contained panic, and his whole body trembled.   At length, Jack slowly closed his hand into a fist around BT’s gift, and dragged his eyes back up to look at his partner.

                “BT…” Words escaped him.  His eyes stung and his heart hammered, and the sheer force of the joy he felt _hurt_.  He reached out with his free hand, delicately lifting the second ring.  “I… I…” He stumbled, snorting out a wry laugh at himself. “ _Shit_ I’m so bad at stringing two words together sometimes…”  He abandoned his attempt, lifting BT’s left hand closer to him.  “Of _course_ I will, BT,” he managed, watching the Former Titan visibly relax and let out a long, shaky breath. “Here…” He slid it smoothly over BT’s ring finger, delighting in the little hitch in his friend’s breathing. He opened his closed fist again, presenting BT the same opportunity. 

                He had not expected anything to change, but the sensation of BT sliding the ring over his finger made Jack’s heart clench as he hiccupped once and then suddenly burst into silent tears.

                “Jack…?” BT barely dared to whisper his name, and Jack turned a soggy smile up at him.

                “I’m sorry!” Jack laughed softly. “I… _wow_ …” He gazed down at his own hand adoringly, captivated by the subtle glitter.  “I never imagined I could be this happy,” he added, wiping at his face as he regained his composure.  He glanced up to see BT’s lips were quivering, his eyes sparkling wetly as well.  At last, BT leant in, kissing him fiercely.  Jack returned the kiss with equal fervor, sighing happily as BT pulled him up into his lap to straddle his thighs. 

                When they finally parted, BT was smiling up at Jack, elated.

                “I love you, Jack Cooper.”   The words still made the wind rush out of Jack, his heart skipping a beat. He let out a giddy little laugh, delighted.

                “I know you know this, but…love you too, BT.”

-EPILOGUE-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (◕ω◕)
> 
> Super duper thanks to everyone who stuck with me through the whole thing! All the love for the regular commentators, all the kudos, and one more time for the people in the back, Kieran for proofing!
> 
> Have a great weekend folks :) 
> 
> xoxoxox


	32. BONUS - RINGS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janelle has sharp eyes.

\--RINGS—

                The sun was just setting by the time Jack and BT returned from the Lake.  Ravenous, they made a bee-line for the mess hall, not caring about their distinctly disheveled appearances, the sand in their clothes, or the particularly relaxed grins they were wearing. Let the world see.

                They found their favorite table mostly unoccupied except for, as usual, Janelle.  The young medic had more or less adopted the pair, and spent more of her free time with them than not.  She looked up as the two men seated themselves across from her, and snorted out a wry laugh at their appearances.

                “Well, you two don’t look like you’ve just been laid _at all_ ,” she drawled, grinning.  BT chuckled softly, but neither Pilot offered any further explanation.  “Oh _fine_ ,” she groused. “Keep all the juicy details to yourself, then!”

                “It’s rude to kiss and tell, Murphy,” BT said, smirking as he raised a glass to his lips.  Janelle fell quiet, distracted by an unfamiliar sparkle, just there… she squinted, eyes subtly tracking the motion of BT’s hand as he lowered his glass.  _There!_

                BT wore a simple band on one finger, the pale inlaid stones nearly invisible against the silver setting, except for the occasional flash of color when the light hit the facets just-so.  She blinked, startled to see what certainly looked, and was placed, as a wedding band.  She glanced up to see BT watching her, his mouth curled minutely on one side into the faintest of smirks.  He said nothing, but his hand shifted as he laid it on the table, as if to flaunt the subtle adornment.  Very briefly, he glanced towards Jack, who was now talking animatedly to Commander Briggs, who had followed the pair over from the chow line.

                Janelle followed BT’s look, frowning.  There was a leaf stuck in Jack’s hair, but nothing else seemed… _No!_ Jack’s left hand glittered as he gestured widely.   She sat up straighter, straining to try and get a better look without being _too_ obvious.  Across from her, BT had to cover his face with one hand to conceal his uncontrollable grin.

                _There!_   Indeed, the very same band BT wore adorned Jack as well.

               

                There was a moment of stunned silence as Janelle tried to process what she was seeing in disbelief before she suddenly leapt to her feet with a scream.

                The medic’s screech was loud enough that Briggs actually fell into a low crouch, ducking.  Jack jerked, choking slightly on the bite of food he had just taken, and all around them, heads turned.  Janelle was on her feet, eyes wide and bright with excitement. One hand was over her mouth in a gesture of disbelief, the other thrust out over the table, pointing accusingly at Jack’s left hand. 

                BT remained serene, barely flinching when the blonde had screamed, keeping his shoulders square and his face neutral as he continued to pick at his meal as if nothing had happened.

                Jack and Briggs were staring back at the girl in wide-eyed shock.  Jack recoiled slightly towards Briggs when he saw the wild look in his friend’s eyes. The Commander finally straightened back up, glancing around warily once before fixing Janelle a glare.

                “What the hell?!” She demanded.   
               

                Janelle was speechless. She couldn’t contain her excitement enough to form words, and so she simply jumped up and down in place, pointing insistently first at Jack’s hand, and then over to BT.  Briggs frowned, confused.

                “That!! What is that?!” Janelle finally managed.  Jack blinked dolefully and feigned ignorance.  He had, of course, figured out what the excitement was, but was happily following BT’s lead, knowing it would get the young woman all the more riled for it.

                “What?!” Briggs demanded, glancing across at Jack and BT each in turn, but not immediately noticing what could be the issue.  Jack had subtly let his hand drop into his lap, and BT had canted his wrist to obscure the outside half of his hand.

                Janelle was having none of it.

                “This!” She reached out, snatching BT by the wrist and yanking his hand up into the air over table.  BT allowed her to manhandle him, arching one eyebrow over at the medic even as she continued to gesticulate in his general direction.  Briggs was not impressed until she added. “The ring!”

                The Commander’s look of irritation vanished as she blinked, finally seeing what Janelle was trying to point out.  She waved BT’s hand, the Former Titan letting it flop at the wrist playfully, for emphasis as Briggs leaned in over the table for a closer look.  She jerked back, eyes big.

                “No way!” She turned on Jack, and the Pilot scooted back quickly, trying to evade her as she lunged at him.  Jack leapt from his seat, staggering backwards as the Commander perused him, but she was faster, and perhaps stronger than he, and in one clean leap, she had him tackled to the cafeteria floor.  Jack yelped, tussling briefly with her, howling in laughter, before finally relenting. “AH-HAHAHA!”  Briggs crowed triumphantly as she wrest Jack’s arm free from under his body, but her laughter turned to a delighted squeal as she spotted the matching ring.  “Oh my Gawd!” She hauled Jack back to his feet, hugging him fiercely.  “Oh Coop!!”  Jack wheezed, glancing back at BT with a plea in his eyes, and Briggs withdrew just enough to turn her excited gaze on BT. “C’mere, Kid!”

                BT scooted back, shaking his head in negation.  Unfortunately, Janelle had taken the opportunity to come up behind him and hoist him out of his seat by his shoulders.

                Tall though he was, he was also tremendously lithe, and the petit woman was strong.  She had no problem moving him, even when BT momentarily clung to the table in desperation.

                The rest of the diners stared on in mixed horror and awe as the two men were dragged into an awkwardly squished group hug by their female compatriots, both of whom were cooing happily at the couple. BT and Jack could only wait, stuck, for the moment to pass as the women finally settled down.

                Wheezing, Jack staggered back somewhat as he was released, bumping into BT as did so.  Briggs and Murphy both wore the same crazed, delighted expressions, and Jack found himself having a terrible, wonderful idea.  He grinned, and pointed to BT.

                “His idea.”

                BT had a split moment to throw Jack an outraged look of betrayal before both women screamed once again.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you there'd be more. =3
> 
> Look! [Finally did some definitive character art for BT](http://makoredeyes.deviantart.com/art/Didn-t-Sign-up-for-This-691255398?ga_submit_new=10%3A1499530826)


	33. BONUS - GET IN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BT slips and falls right into the gutter X)

\--Get In—

                Jack by now had long become accustomed to BT’s general neglect of breakfast, and typically left his partner alone to gaze into his coffee while he himself started his day with a full, hearty meal. Across the table, Janelle ate in rare silence, the entire mess hall at large subdued.  
                It had been a rather raucous weekend for the Marauder Corps.

                At his side, BT sat swirling his coffee and staring down into the steaming black liquid thoughtfully.  He was, Jack thought, perhaps somewhat quieter than usual.  Judging by the tiny smirk the Former Titan wore, however, BT’s mood was fair despite his silence.

                “Hey,” Jack poked his elbow out, jabbing at BT playfully. “What’cha processin’?” BT chuckled softly to himself, delighted by Jack’s choice of words.

                “Oh… Well…” BT trailed off evasively, shrugging.  His smirk grew slightly, and Janelle finally looked up.

                “Oh come on! Don’t get coy!” She demanded.

                “Yeah now you’ve got us curious,” Jack added, chuckling at the young medic’s ever present fervor.

                “You probably don’t want to know,” BT added, his voice warm.  In hindsight Jack would realize he was brazenly baiting him.

                “Spit it out, kid,” Janelle drawled, and BT flashed her a grin.  Jack was too sleepy to hear the alarm bells going off in the back of his mind.

                “Oh…I was just reminiscing,” BT began, fiddling with his coffee cup more even as he turned to address Jack directly.  “Of a time when demanding you get inside me meant something entirely different than it does now.”

                Jack, who’d thoughtlessly just taken a huge mouthful of scrambled eggs, choked. He coughed, his face red as he sputtered. Across the table, Janelle blew milk out her nose in a geyser that threatened to coat half the table.  BT leaned back ever so slightly to avoid the frothy spray.  Recovering, she shot BT a scandalized look.

                BT indulged in what would later be noted as his first long, loud belly laugh, the Former Titan openly guffawing at his friends’ expense. 

“Oh my _God_ , BT!” Janelle cried, valiantly fighting to withhold giggles despite herself.  

                 

                Jack, always up for a good joke, had only barely cleared his airway again when he too slipped into giggles, muttering proudly, “You got me.”  BT turned, tucking his forehead against Jack’s shoulder as he collapsed from laughter.

                “Oh Stars…” BT snorted faintly, blushing in embarrassment, even as he shot Janelle a giddy grin.  “Murphy, your face… Hah! Oh that was too good…”  

                Janelle glowered around a smirk as she started to mop up her mess with a pile of napkins

                “Oh, it’s _on_ now, punk,” she jabbed a finger his way. “I’m gonna get your ass back for that one.”

                “Naw,” Jack barely wheezed the words out as he burst into a fit of laughter at his yet unspoken joke. “That’s- heh!- _my_ job!”

                “Jack!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These bonus chapters are probably going to all turn into crack. I'm not sorry.


End file.
